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| Other scientific names | Common names |
| Agas-moro (Ilk.) | |
| Bulabod (Sub.) | |
| Kolong-kugon (S.L. Bis.) | |
| Magmansi (Pang.) | |
| Sagit (Bon.) | |
| Tagulinai, tagulinay (Tag.) | |
| Tagulinau (Tag.) | |
| Sahadevi (India) | |
| Ironweed (Engl.) | |
| Ash coloured Fleabane (Engl.) |
| ·Botany · Erect, slender, sparingly branched, somewhat pubescent annual herb 20 to 80 cm high. · Leaves: Petioled, oblanceolate to obovate, acute or obtuse, shallowly toothed 2 to 6 cm long. · Flowers: Bright-purple, all perfect, the corolla all equal, tubular, slender 5-lobed, about 20 in each head, twice as long as the involucral bracts. Heads small, peduncled in open, lax corymbs, about 7 mm long, 2.5 mm in diameter. · Fruits: Achenes striate, ribbed or angled; pappus hairs numerous. Properties Cooling, febrifuge, sedating, decongestant, anti-infectious. According to Ayurveda, the herb is sweet, cold, tonic, stomachic, astringent. Distribution Open waste places throughout the settled areas at low and medium altitudes; common weed, flowering all the year. Parts used Whole plant. Collect from May to August. Rinse and sun-dry. Uses Folkloric • Cold, fever, cough. • Acute jaunditic hepatitis. • Neurasthenia, insomnia, night urination among infants, infected sores, mastitis, snake bites, sprains, furuncle. • Dosage: 15 to 30 gms dried material (among infants, 9 to 15 gms), 30 to 60 gms fresh material in decoction. · · · • Poultice of fresh material used for eczema, carbuncle and snake bites. • In India, whole herb juice is used most frequently – for eye problems. Also used for poisonous insect and snake bites. As a tonic, taken twice a month with milk. For ringworm, applied to affected parts with milk. Used for all types of fever and considered one of the best remedies for typhoid. • According to Ayurveda, used for consumption, asthma, bronchitis and fevers. Studies • Anti-Arthritic / Anti-Inflammatory: An alcoholic extract from the flower of Vernonia cinerea was tested in adjuvant arthritic rats. The extract reversed major histopathological changes in the arthritic hindpaws. Phytochemical studies revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, steroids and flavanoids. The study concluded that the extract contains a yet-unidentified anti-inflammatory principle. • Free Radical Scavenging: The levels of oxygen derived free radicals, antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalas, glutathione peroxidase amd glutathione) were studied in experimental rats. • Nephroprotective: Nephroprotective Activity of Herbal Extracts of Vernonia Cinerea in the Cisplatin Model of Renal Toxicity in Rats: Vernonia cinerea is a a plant widely used by the Indian tribal people of Tirumula for urinary complaints. A study on three extracts from the plant showed promising nephrocurative activity and nephroprotective activity in rat-model of cisplastin-induced renal toxicity. Cisplastin is a potent antitumor agent with limited clinical use because of its renal toxicity. • Toxicity Study: No toxicity was found on a methanol extract study of VC in mice and brine shrimp. • Antioxidant / Anti-Inflammatory: Methanol extract of VC was found to scavenge hydroxyl radicals and nitric oxide. It also significantly inhibited carrageenan-induced inflammation together with down regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine level and gene expression. • Diuretic / Anti-Diuretic Effects: The chloroform extract of leaf induced significant diuresis while the methanol and aqueous extracts induced significant anti-diuresis in rats. In both, the effects were dose-dependent. • Smoking Cessation Treatment: Veronia cinerea has been used in traditional Thai medicine to relieve cigarette craving. A 24-week, randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel trial on 64 subjects randomized to an infusion of 3-gm crushed dried whole plant of VC in infusion three times daily or placebo. Results were promising and suggest that VC may be a potential alternative to treatment for smoking cessation with significant cost savings. Large scale trials are needed to verify its efficacy. • Bioactive Constituents: Study isolated four compounds: (+)-Lirioresinol B, stigmasterol, stigmasterol-3-O-beta-D-glucoside and 4-sulfo-benzocyclobutene. Three of the compounds showed cytotoxicity on PC-12 and three compounds showed inhibition activity. Compound 4 induced NGF-activity. • Anti-Inflammatory: Methanol extract of the whole plant of VC exhibited significant dose-dependent activity against all phlogistic agents. In the chronic model, it exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity compared with the standard drug phenylbutazone. • Anti-Inflammatory / Analgesic / Anti-Inflammatory: Chloroform, methanolic and ether extracts of VC showed to possess analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects together with changes in behavioral activities. • Antibacterial: VC was one of 40 different medicinal plants that showed bioactivity against Corynebacterium macginleyi. Availability Wild-crafted. |
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