Ceylon Leadwort: Best Herb to Increase Digestive Fire and Obesity (Plumbago Zeylanica)

Table of Contents

“Ceylon Leadwort is considered as rasayana, kustaghn, and is used for increasing body weight, in rasakarma, and lohavedhana.”

1. Introduction

The word Chitraka means spotted, which is compared with the spotted appearance of a leopard. The plant is compared with a leopard in terms of its sharpness and tearing nature. The genus name Plumbago is derived from a Latin word plumbum which means lead, because of its ability to cure lead palsy or ability to produce lead-colored spots on skin. That is why it is also known as leadwort.

Ceylon Leadwort has a long history of its usage as a drug that increases the digestive fire. Charak stated Ceylon Leadwort mool as best deepan pachan Dravya and best for the treatment of guda roga, sotha, arsha and school. It is also included in shoolaghni and vataanulomani yavagu, moolasava, and shaka varga. Sushrut used Chitraka for preparation of Tikshna kshar and as prativaap Dravya in kshar.

Ceylon Leadwort shaka is laghu and kaphasophara in properties. Sushrut and Vagbhatt described it as rasayana Dravya similar to that of Bakuchi and Pippali rasayana, respectively; best Deepana pachana Dravya. Raj nighntu named rakta Ceylon Leadwort as Kalaha. Ceylon Leadwort is one of the ingredients in trimada, panchkola, and shadushna.

It is a shrubby perennial herb with acrid roots. It grows densely up to two meters high, with 10 to 20 stems growing directly from the root. The herb contains an orange yellow pigment, plumbagin and a fatty alcohol. The proportion of the plumbagin varies according to the locality, growth, age, condition of the soil and the season. The older the plant and drier the soil, thew greater is the quantity of active principle in its roots.

The roots and leaves are used in veterinary medicines for treating ailments like flatulence, edema, and intestinal worms. Tribal people in Assam use it roots for family planning, birth control, permanent sterilization, and for inducing abortions.

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2. Common Names

• Family – Pumbaginaceae
• Hindi Name – Cheeta, Chitrak
• English Name – Ceylon leadwort, Doctorbush

3. Vernacular Names

• Bengali – Chita
• Assamese – Agiyachit
• Gujarati – Chitrakmula
• Kannada – Chitramula, Vahni
• Malayalam – Vellakeduvelli
• Marathi – Chitraka
• Tamil – Chitramoolam
• Telugu – Chitramulam
• Oriya – Chitamula

4. Synonyms

• Agni – It has fiery hot nature like fire.
• Agnika – It is like fire in properties and virya.
• Daruna – It is extremely hot in potency.
• Dipaka – It stimulates digestive fire.
• Jaran – It promotes digestion of food.
• Ushana – It is hot in pungency and virya.

5. Classical Categorization

• Charak Smahita – Lekhaniya, Bhedaniya
• Sushrut Samhita – Pippalyadi, Amalakyadi
• Ashtanga Hridya – Pippalyadi, Mustadi
• Dhanvantari Nighantu – Shatpushpadi varga
• Madanpal Nighantu – Sunthyadi varga
• Kaiyadev Nighantu – Oshadi varga
• Raj Nighantu – Pippalyadi varga
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Haritakyadi varga

6. Distribution

Ceylon Leadwort is a native plant of South Asia and is available in tropical and subtropical countries of the world. It is distributed throughout India, mainly in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and some parts of South India both in wild and cultivated state.

7. Morphology

A perennial, subscandent shrub, 60 to 120 cm high with woody, spreading, green striated branches.

Leaves – Simple, alternate, about 8 cm long and 3 cm broad, ovate shape, acute apex, glabrous, entire, short red petiole, amplexicaul at the base, and often dilated into stipule like auricles.

Flowers – White, bracteate, often branched, glandular in long terminal spikes, 10 to 30 cm long, bisexual, Calyx densely covered with stalked, sticky glands, Corolla are white, slender and tubular. Stamens are free and five. Ovary is superior.

Fruits – Oblong capsules, pointed, contained in viscid, glandular, persistent calyx. Seeds oblong and purple colored.

Roots – Cylindrical, stout, irregularly bent, light yellow colored when fresh, reddish-brown when dry, found in the form of tough pieces, slightly branched with or without secondary roots, uniform and smooth texture, strong and characteristics odor with acrid and bitter taste. Bark is thin and brown colored. The plant is propagated through seeds and stem cuttings.

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8. Types

• Vagabhatt – Three types: Peeta, Sita (white), Asita (black)
• Yogaratnasamuccayam – Three types – Krishn, Shwet, Rakt.
• Bhavaprakash – Three types – Shwet, Rakt, Neel.

9. Ayurvedic Properties

• Rasa (Taste): It has Katu (pungent) taste.
• Virya (Potency): It is Ushna in nature (hot).
• Vipaka (Post-digestive taste): It is Katu (pungent) taste.
• Guna (Qualities) – Laghu, Ruksha, Tikshna

10. Chemical Constituent

The major compounds isolated from Ceylon Leadwort plant are flavonoids, terpenes, and sterols. The root bark of Ceylon Leadwort has plumbagin, zeylannone, elliptinone and droserone. Leaves contain plumbagin, chitanone. Stem has plumbagin, zeylanone, isozeylanone, sitosterol and campesterol. Fruits contains plumbagin, glucopyranoside and sitosterol.

11. Identity, Purity, and Strength

• Foreign Matter – Not more than 3%
• Total Ash – Not more than 3%
• Acid-insoluble ash – Not more than 1%
• Alcohol-soluble extractive – Not less than 12%
• Water-soluble extractive – Not less than 12%

(Source: The Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia of India 1989)

12. Ayurvedic and Pharmacological Actions

Ayurvedic Action

In Ayurveda classics Ceylon Leadwort is described as appetizer, digestive, scrapping, purgative, absorbent, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, analgesic, uterine astringent, bitter tonic and rejuvenator.

• Doshakarma – Vatakaphashamaka
• Dhatukarma – Rasayana
• Malakarma – Bhedana

The root is a well-known abortifacient and vesicant. Tincture of root bark is used as a sudorific and antiperiodic. Leaves are caustic, vesicant and aphrodisiac.

Pharmacological Action

The root and root bark of Ceylon Leadwort are stimulant, and have expectorant, laxative, digestive, carminative, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antifungal, antioxidant, antibacterial, wound-healing, antifertility, and rejuvenator.

13. Health Benefits

The root of the plant is acrid and stimulant, it is useful in inducing copious perspiration and in promoting salivation. It strengthens the stomach and aids in its action. Its leaves are almost tasteless, have hard cellulose and are slightly mucilaginous. About 60ml of raw juice of its leaves can be taken by itself or may be added to mixed green vegetables and lettuces to prepare gruel or cake.

In classical texts Ceylon Leadwort is used for the treatment of inflammation, disease of abdomen, piles, sprue, worm infestation, loss of appetite, diarrhea, indigestion, cold, rectal inflammation, hoarseness of voice, cough, chronic fever, wounds, vitiligo, and abdominal tumour.

In ethnic practice Ceylon Leadwort is also used in the treatment of rheumatism, laryngitis, joint pain, hepatomegaly, dysentery, leukoderma, malaria, toxic swelling and muscular pain.

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14. Therapeutic Uses

Inflammation – Application of warm paste of Ceylon Leadwort and Devadaru pounded with cow’s urine reduces swelling.

Filariasis – Application of Ceylon Leadwort or Devadaru paste is beneficial.

Sprue - Ceylon Leadwort 1tsp twice daily is given.

Piles – Paste of Ceylon Leadwort twak is applied within a jar and curd or buttermilk is prepared in that jar. Daily consumption of curd or buttermilk is recommended.

Cough & Cold - Ceylon Leadwort leha and Ceylon Leadwort haritaki are best remedy for kasa and pratishyay.

Obesity – Intake of Ceylon Leadwort root powder with honey followed by wholesome diet.

Anemia - Ceylon Leadwort root powder and bala root powder should be taken with warm water.

Diabetes - Ceylon Leadwort decoction is useful.

Intestinal Disorders – The leaves are useful in dyspepsia, diarrhea, and piles. It increases digestive powers and stimulates appetite.

Skin Disorders – Owing to its skin irritating property the herb is used in treating chronic skin disease and leukoderma. A paste made with salt and water is useful for obstinate skin diseases such as syphilitic ulcers, scabies, varicose ulcers and ringworm. Paste of the root is also used over glandular tumours and abscesses. The juice of root, especially fresh, is very acrid and blister the skin.

15. Official Part Used

Root

16. Doses

Powder: 1 to 2gm

17. Formulations

Chitrakadi vati, Chitrakadi gutika, Panchkola Churna, Chitrakadi lepa, Punarnava mandur, Yograaj guggulu, Vyoshadi gutika, Aryogyovardhini vati, Chitraka haritaki, Chitrakadhya ghrita, Chandraprabha vati, Agnitundivati, Abhayarista, Ajmodadi churna, Shaddharan yoga.

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18. Precaution

Plumbagin the main active constituent of Ceylon Leadwort is a powerful irritant, topical application of Ceylon Leadwort root or any other part produces redness and blisters. If taken internally in large doses, it produces abdominal colicky pain, increased perspiration, redness and itching of skin, dilated pupils, feeble pulse, gasping respiration, hypotonia, myotonia, collapse, and death.

• Shodhana – For purification, pieces of rakta Ceylon Leadwort moola are soaked in lime water, washed and dried under the sun.
• Antidote – Sheeta snighda, Pittashamaka preparations should be used like Ghrita, Dugdh, Navneet, ushria, Chandana, etc.