Kaakāri, ‘thorny’

Kan.t.aka¯ri, ‘thorny’

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Kan.t.aka¯ri, ‘thorny’ BOTANICAL

NAME:

Solanum xanthocarpum, S. surattense, Solanaceae

OTHER NAMES: Vya¯ghrı¯, ‘tigress’ (S); Birhatta (H); Kandangattiri, Papparapalli (T); Yellowberried Nightshade

Botany: Kan.t.aka¯ri is a highly branched perennial herb, with an irregularly shaped stem that is somewhat woody at the base, covered in whitish hairs, with shining yellowish prickles that are up to 1.3 cm long. The leaves are up 5–10 cm in length and between 2.5 and 6 cm wide, ovate to elliptic, deeply lobed, covered in whitish hairs and prickles along the midrib and veins. The purple or blue flowers are borne in axillary cymes, giving rise to small globose berries that are yellowish white, with green veins, containing small yellowish brown seeds. Kan.t.aka¯ri is found throughout tropical India and Southeast Asia (Kirtikar & Basu 1935). Part used: Whole plant, root.

Dravygun.a: ●

Rasa: kat.u, tikta

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Vipa¯ka: kat.u

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Vı¯rya: us.n.a, ru¯ks.a

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Karma: dı¯panapa¯cana, anulomana, kr . mighna, jvaraghna, chedana, ka¯sahara, sva¯sahara, mu¯travirecana, a´smaribhedana, hr . daya, a¯rtavajanana, va¯takaphahara (Srikanthamurthy 2001, Warrier et al 1996)

Constituents: The limited amount of chemical research on Kan.t.aka¯ri has yielded the steroidal glycosides carpesterol, indioside, β-sitosterol, dioscin, methyl protoprosapogenin A, methyl protodioscin and protodioscin. In addition researchers have isolated the sesquiterpene solavetivone, a novel solafuranone, scopoletin, esculin, esculetin, N-(p-transcoumaroyl) tyramine, and N-trans-feruloyltyramine, as well as the alkaloids solanine, solanidine, solasonine, solamargine, and solaurine (Chiang et al 1991, Gan et al

1993, Kapoor 1990, Syu et al 2001, Yoganarasimhan 2000). Medical research: Human trials: Solanum xanthocarpum and Solanum trilobatum were demonstrated to promote a significant improvement in the ventilatory function of asthmatic individuals, without side effects (Govindan et al 1999, 2004).

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Toxicity: No data found. Indications: Dyspepsia, colic, flatulence, constipation, haemorrhoids, intestinal parasites, fever, catarrh, cough, bronchitis, pharyngitis, asthma, urolithiasis, oedema, skin diseases, inflammatory joint disease, sciatica, cardiovascular disease, amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, epilepsy. Contraindications: pittakopa. Medicinal uses: Kan.t.aka¯ri is a warming, stimulating herb, with a dı¯panapa¯cana activity that is useful to correct digestion and remove catarrh, commonly used in the treatment of fever (jvara), digestive weakness and respiratory conditions. For fever with pain in the chest Kan.t.aka¯ri is decocted with Goks.ura, and taken with red rice (Sharma 2002). In the treatment of cough the Cakradatta recommends a decoction of Kan.t.aka¯ri and Harı¯takı¯, taken with honey and a paste of Trikat.u (Sharma 2002). Similarly, a medicated ghr.ta prepared with the fresh juice of Kan.t.aka¯ri and powders of Ra¯sna¯, Bala¯, Goks.ura and Trikat.u is used to treat the different types of cough as well as hoarseness (Sharma 2002). In the treatment of colic Kan.t.aka¯ri is decocted with Bala¯, . Punarnava¯, Goks.ura, and Br.hatı¯, taken with Hingu and rock salt (Sharma 2002). In the treatment of haemorrhoids Kan.t.aka¯ri is prepared as a medicated

226

PART 2: A¯yurvedic materia medica

ghr.ta called Simhyamr.ta ghr.ta, prepared by decocting it along with Gud.u¯cı¯, and a smaller proportion of Citraka, Triphala, Pu¯tika¯ bark, Indrayava, . Gambha¯ri and Vid.anga (Sharma 2002). As a ‘simple’ (remedy), a decoction of Kan.t.aka¯ri taken with honey is stated to be effective in all forms of dysuria and urolithiasis (Sharma 2002). In the treatment of parasites Kan.t.aka¯ri is used with antihelminthic herbs such . as Vid.anga, and purgatives such as Trivr.t. Dosage: ● Cu ¯rn.a: 3–5 g b.i.d.–t.i.d. ● Kva ¯tha: 30–90 mL b.i.d.–t.i.d.

REFERENCES Chiang HC, Tseng TH, Wang CJ et al 1991 Experimental antitumor agents from Solanum indicum L. AntiCancer Research 11(5):1911–1917 Gan KH, Lin CN, Won SJ 1993 Cytotoxic principles and their derivatives of Formosan Solanum plants. Journal of Natural Products 56(1):15–21

Govindan S, Viswanathan S, Vijayasekaran V, Alagappan R 1999 A pilot study on the clinical efficacy of Solanum xanthocarpum and Solanum trilobatum in bronchial asthma. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 66(2):205–210 Govindan S, Viswanathan S, Vijayasekaran V, Alagappan R 2004 Further studies on the clinical efficacy of Solanum xanthocarpum and Solanum trilobatum in bronchial asthma. Phytotherapy Research 18(10):805–809 Kapoor LD 1990 CRC Handbook of Ayurvedic medicinal plants. CRC Press, Boca Raton, p 305 Kirtikar KR, Basu BD 1935 Indian medicinal plants, 2nd edn, vols 1–4. Periodical Experts, Delhi, p 1759–1760 Nadkarni KM 1954 The Indian materia medica, with Ayurvedic, Unani and home remedies, revised and enlarged by A.K. Nadkarni. Popular Prakashan PVP, Bombay Sharma PV 2002 Cakradatta. Sanskrit text with English translation. Chaukhamba, Varanasi, p 4, 88, 155, 163, 257, 311 Srikanthamurthy KR 1994 Va¯gbhat.a’s As.t.a¯ñga Hr.dayam, vol 1. Krishnadas Academy, Varanasi Srikanthamurthy KR 2001 Bha¯vapraka¯´sa of Bha¯vami´sra, vol 1. Krishnadas Academy, Varanasi, p 233 Syu WJ, Don MJ, Lee GH, Sun CM 2001 Cytotoxic and novel compounds from Solanum indicum. Journal of Natural Products 64(9):1232–1233 Warrier PK, Nambiar VPK, Ramankutty C (eds) 1996 Indian medicinal plants: a compendium of 500 species, vol 5. Orient Longman, Hyderabad, p 164 Yoganarasimhan SN 2000 Medicinal plants of India, vol 2: Tamil Nadu. Self-published, Bangalore, p 505