Family Amaranthaceae
Hangod
Achyranthes aspera L.
PRICKLY CHAFF FLOWER

Common names   
Angud (Pamp.)  Higad-higad (Ilk.)
Deket-deket (Ilk.)  Libay (Tag.)
Dokot-dokot (Tag.) Lopo-lopo (Bis.) 
Garem (Ilk.)  Niknikitan (Bon.)
Guela (Neg.) Ragragadi (Ilk.)     
Hangod (Tag.) Saramo (Bis.)
Hangor (Tag.) Devil's horsewhipe (Engl.) 
Hangot  (Tag.) Prickly chaff flower (Engl.) 

Botany:
· A coarse, rambling or erect, distantly branched annual herb, 0.5 to 2 m high.
· Leaves are oblong-ovate to elliptic or obovate, 6 to 15 cm long, pointed at both ends, more or less hairy, though often nearly smooth.
· Flowers are green and about 5 cm in length. Sepals 4 or 5, filaments connate at the base, the stamens and staminodes square toothed or fimbricate, pale purplish. Ovary oblong, 1-ovuled; flowers unisexual. The spikes are rigid, elongated and 10 to 15 cm long. Buds point upwards but when the flowers open, they spread out from the sides.
· Seeds oblong, brown and 2 to 3 mm long. Fruits utricles, oblong or ovoid, indehiscent.

Distribution
Weed found throughout the Philippines at low and medium altitudes.

Parts utilized
Entire plant.
Collect from May to October.
Rinse, macerate, sun-dry.

Chemical constituents and properties
• According to Ayurveda, bitter, pungent, heating laxative, stomachic, carminative.
• Considered slightly cooling, antipyretic-diuretic.
• Aids lymphatic circulation, strengthens musculatured, improves blood circulation
.
• Contains triterpenoid and saponins.

Uses
Culinary
Leaves and seeds are edible.
Leaf used as potherb.
Seeds rich in protein.
Folkloric
• Cold with fever, heat stoke with headache, malaria, dysentery.
• Urinary tract lithiasis, chronic nephritis, edema.
• Rheumatic arthralgia (joint pain)
• Dosage: use 30 to 60 gms dried material in decoction.
• In Ayurveda, used for treatming vomiting, bronchitis, heart problems, hemorrhoids, itching, abdominal pains, ascites, etc.
• In India, used as abortifacient
• Decoction of leaves used in treatment of diarrhea and dysentery.
• Poultice of leaves used for rabies, hysteria, insect and snake bites.
Others
• Ash from burnt plant, mixed with mustard oil and pinch of salt, and used as powder for cleaning teeth.
• Dried twigs used as toothbrush>
• Ash is a rich source of potash. Used for washing clothes.

Studies
OB-Gyn Uses: ETHNOMEDICINAL USES OF ACHYRANTHES ASPERA L. (AMARANTHACEAE) IN MANAGEMENT OF GYNAECOLOGICAL DISORDERS IN WESTERN UTTAR PRADESH (INDIA): The study records the ethno-medicinal use of A. aspera in rural areas in India: abortion, inducing labor pains, expel dead fetus, expel placental remains, stopping excessive bleeding, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, etc.
Antifertility: Effect of achyranthes aspera L. on fetal abortion, uterine and pituitary weights, serum lipids and hormones: Methanolic leaves extract AA possesses anti-fertility activity. It suggests a potential option for population explosion.
Antiinflammatory: Effect of alcohol extract of Achyranthes aspera Linn. on acute and subacute inflammation: Alcohol extract of Achyranthes aspera showed inhibition of carrageenin-induced rat paw edema,
Post-coital antifertility activity of Achyranthes aspera Linn. root: Study suggests the ethanol extract possess both anti-implantation and abortifacient activity. It also exhibited estrogenic activity,
Larvicidal activity: All extracts showed moderate larvicidal effects against A aegypti and C quinquefasciatus. It investigates the potential of crude extracts of medicinal herbs as a measure to control the vector of dengue and lymphatic filariasis.
Immunomodulatory Activity: Extract of AA was found to enhance the induction of ovalbumin-specific humoral antibody response in mice on intraperitoneal extract injection along with OVA. Results confirm the immunostimulatory properties of A aspera.

Availability
Wild-crafted.



Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Chirchita or Onga (Achyranthes aspera var. perphyristachya Hook. F.) / Pankaj Oudhia
(2)
ETHNOMEDICINAL USES OF ACHYRANTHES ASPERA L. (AMARANTHACEAE) IN MANAGEMENT OF GYNAECOLOGICAL DISORDERS IN WESTERN UTTAR PRADESH (INDIA)
(3)
Achyranthes aspera - L. / Devil's Horsewhip / Plants For A Future
(4)
Effect of achyranthes aspera L. on fetal abortion, uterine and pituitary weights, serum lipids and hormones
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1831979
(5)
Post-coital antifertility activity of Achyranthes aspera Linn. root
/ VASUDEVA Neeru et al / Journal of ethnopharmacology • 2006, vol. 107, no2, pp. 179-181
(6)
Larvicidal activity of saponin from Achyranthes aspera against Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus / Bagavan, A et al / arasitology Research, Volume 103, Number 1, June 2008 , pp. 223-229(7) / DOI: 10.1007/s00436-008-0962-z
(7)
Immunomodulatory Activity of Achyranthes aspera on the Elicitation of Antigen-Specific Murine Antibody Response / Rao Y. Vasudeva et al / Pharmaceutical Biology, Volume 40, Issue 3 May 2002 , pages 175 - 178 / DOI: 10.1076/phbi.40.3.175.5831
(8)
Effect of alcohol extract of Achyranthes aspera Linn. on acute and subacute inflammation / T. Vetrichelvan et al / Phytotherapy Research
Volume 17 Issue 1, Pages 77 - 79 / DOI 10.1002/ptr.1070


HOME      •      SEARCH      •      EMAIL