Dronapushpi is Sanskrit name of plant Leucas cephalotes. It is a medicinal herb that grows as a weed in India and many South East Asian countries. The folk use of this herb is for treating scorpion stings, snake bite, cough, fever etc. The whole plant has fever educing and insecticidal properties. The leaves are applied externally on snake bites and scorpion stings. To know more about this medicinal herb,

‘Leucas aspera ‘

SYNONYMS

• Ksavapatra
• Chatrini
• Palepushpa
• Guma
• Nahula
• Adhicchatra
• Dvesyamesa
• Gotamah
• Putigandhika
• Kumbhayoni
• Kutumbaka
• Drona
• Swasanaka
• Palindi
• Chatrani
• Chatraka
• Koodinya
• Vrakshasaraka
• Dhirgapatra
• Supuspa
• Chitrapatrika

TYPES

According to Abhidhana ratnamala

• Two varieties
• Mahadrona
• Dronapushpa

According to Raja narahari

• Drona – Lucas aspera
• Mahadrona – L. Cephalotus
• Another species – L. indica

PART USED

• Panchanga

FORMULATION

• Plihari vati
• Gorocanadi vati
• Nimbadilepa
• Sahacharadi taila

DOSAGE

• Swarasa-5-10ml.
• Churna-1-3gm

PROPERTIES

Rasa: katu, lavana, Madhura.

Guna: Guru, Ruksha, Theekshna

Veerya: Ushna.

Vipaka: Madhura

Doshsgnhtha: Kapha, vata, shamaka.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

• Its Panchanga contains B-sisstesterol, flavinol, Glycoside.
• Flowers  contain an essential oil, A bitter principle seeds a contain a fixed oil , caryophyllene, oxide, 26.56% Gama- Fenchene 12.02%, Alpha- cordional 2.13% , 1-hepten 3-01, 6.53%, menthol 6.30%, deca hydro naphthalene 5.15%, and trans –caryophyllene 4.05%.

• Labdane, Noraladane, laballenic acid lauric acid, glutaric acid, Adipic acid , tridecanoic acid.

KARMA

• Bhedana
• Kaphagna
• Amapacaka
• Kamalahara
• Shothoghna
• Shvasagna
• Krimigana
• Swedajanana
• Vata prashamana
• Samsrana
• Vishamajvarahara

PRAYOGA

• Kaamala
• Shotha
• Shwasa
• Vishamajvara
• Kandu
• Udara shoola
• Pratisyaya
• Jvara
• Shira shoola

THERAPEUTIC USES

Vishamajvara– Fresh juice of dronapuspi and tulasi are useful.            [Sharangadhara Samhita madhyamakhanda]

 Kaamala: Anjana with the juice of dronapuspi useful. [Gadanigraha].                                            

Netrarogani: dronapuspi juice is mixed with rice water and used orally as well as topically.                                 [G.N]

Pittajavikara : Hima prepared by sariva, rasani, guduchi,  rakthachandana and dronapuspi.         [Siddhayogasangraha]

Paandu : Hima prepared by dronapuspi and padmaka, sariva drugs are useful.                 [Siddhayogasangraha]

PHARMACO THERAPEUTIC ACTION AND USES

Lecus cephalotes has been reported to exert hepatoprotective action in carbon tetra chloride induced hepatotoxicity in animals.

Juice of it has been reported to act as an antibilious in herbal therapy for jaundice

It has shown positive test in filariesis

The whole plant powder in the proportion of 70% in the herbal composition is patented to cure epileptic convulsions and cerebral function disorders.

It is also having the properties of antipyretic, stimulant , expectorant, aperients , diaphoretic, insecticidal, emmenagogue, and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti diabetic.

They are useful in colic, dyspepsia arthralgia.

FOLKLORE USES

• Plant decoction is used in the treatment of malarial fever .
• The leaves juice is used topically in psoriasis, skin eruption , and scabies and internally for the treatment of urinary complaints.
• The flowers are administered in the form of syrup or with honey for cough and cold.
• The dried inflorescences are smoked and the smoke exhaled through the nose to treat nose bleeds.
• Dried leaves along with tobacco (1:3) are smoked to treat bleeding as well as itching piles and fresh leaves eaten as a potent herb.

CULTIVATION

Cultivated fields as a weed , especially after a period of rain . It is collected for use as a leafy vegetable in rural areas . it is cultivated itself for its medicinal uses . And really available in market.

RESEARCH STUDIES

ANTIBACTERIAL

Leucas cephalotes a common ethanomedicinal plant’s used by folklore of tirupathi andrapradesh for fever and urinary tract infection.  Organic extracts hexane and methanolic extracts showed prominent antibacterial activity .

IN VITRO ANTHELMINTIC ACTIVITY

It is mild stimulant diaphoretic and used for fever

The overall study showed that dronapushpi decoction was beneficial to naveen (new) amavata.

The claim of folk ore amavata probably more beneficial if used with suitable vedanasthapana (analgesic)  drugs

Traditional medicinal uses

Dronapushpi is a weed that grows on wastelands. Medicinally, it has antimicrobial, insecticidal, fever reducing, larvicidal and inflammation reducing properties. It is useful in skin diseases. In malarial fever, the leaves juice is given. In some part of country, the decoction of whole plant is used for curing fever. The juice removes toxins from body. The leaves juice is applied externally for skin diseases and swelling. In cod and cough, the leaves juice is recommended.

Scorpion sting

In scorpion sting the plant is used internally as well externally. The leaves juice (few drops) is mixed with honey and taken orally.

Topically, the leaves juice is applied on place of sting.

Snake bite

The folk remedy is to put few drops of whole plant in nostrils.

Skin diseases, removing blood toxins

Skin diseases mainly occur due to toxins in blood. Dronapushpi plant has ability to flush the toxins from body.

In skin diseases, whole plant of Dronapushpi is used. The plant is dried. Five grams of dried powder is taken with three grams Neem/Margosa leaves in 2 glass water. This is boiled till volume reduce to one fourth. Then it filtered and taken two times a day.

Abnormally heavy bleeding at menstruation

The leaves of plant are taken a handful. These are washed and then ground to make fine paste. This paste is mixed with lemon juice and sesame oil/til oil (edible). The preparation is eaten empty stomach every morning for a week.

Asthma, cold, cough

The leaves juice of plant is taken in dose of 1-3 teaspoons.

Excessive thirst

The flowers (2 tablespoon) are boiled in water (150 ml) till volume reduces to half. This is filtered and taken thrice a day.

Cough, leucorrhoea

The leaves of plant are cooked and eaten with rice.

Skin diseases (itching, patchy skin, psoriasis, scabies etc.)

The paste of leaves is applied externally at the affected body areas.

Cough, congestion, blockage of nose, headache due to cough, Sinusitis, Migraine, Phlegm

The juice of leaves is put in nostrils as drops. For this purpose, the leaves juice is extracted and mixed with two times water. Then the diluted juice is put in nostrils (4 dops) for 3-4 days.

The flowers are heated in til/sesame oil and applied on head.

Fever (acute, chronic), Allergy

The decoction of plant (2-3 grams in boiled in two glass water till water reduces to one fourth) is used

This medicinal herb should be used in recommended doses only. It is hot in potency and heats up body. Avoid its use in excess. The leaves juice can be diluted for putting in nose of oral use.

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