False Daisy: Best Herb for Hair & Liver Problems (Bhringaraj)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Eclipta alba, commonly known as False Daisy and Bhringaraj, is a medicinal plant belonging to the family Asteraceae. The genus name comes from the Greek word “Eclipta” which means “deficient”. It shines like a hornet, that is why it is called Bhirngaraj.

Bhringaraj is a well-known herb from ancient times, in Atharva Veda, Maharishi Sayana has mentioned it in the treatment of Kushta and palita. Acharya Charaka has mentioned this herb in various instances such as Kaphaj kasa chikitsa, Raktapittanashaka yoga, and Krimihar Dravya. Acharya Sushruta advised to use Bhringaraj in khalitya and palitya and also proved its keshya activity.

The whole plant and parts of the plant are used by folk medicinal practitioners and tribal medicinal practitioners of the Indian subcontinent for the treatment of hair loss, graying of hair, liver disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory tract disorders, fever, skin disorders, spleen enlargement, and cuts and wounds. Ethnomedicinal uses of the plant have been reported from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

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2. Vernacular Names

• Assamese – Bhringaraj
• Bengali – Bheemraja, Kesuriya, Kesari
• Kannada – Garagada, Soppu
• Gujrati – Bhangra, Dodhak
• Malayalam – Kannunni, Kayyonni
• Marathi – Makka, Bhringaraja
• Oriya – Kesara, Kesarada
• Punjabi – Bhangra
• Tamil – Kaikesi, Garuga
• Telugu – Guntakalagara, Guntagalagara
• Urdu – Bhangra

3. Synonyms

• Bhring – It blackens hair like a hornet due to rasayana property.
• Bhringar – It stabilizes rasadi dhatu, hair and ojus.
• Keshraj – It is a potent herb for hair.
• Keshranjan – It colors the hair.
• Kuntal Vardhan – It helps to grow hair in quantity and quality.
• Maarkar – It prevents whitening hair.
• Markar – It turns hairs into black.
• Markav – It kills diseases like baldness and cures white hair.
• Markava – It cures hair-related problems and prevents premature graying of hairs.
• Pitripriya – Its flowers are used in death rituals.
• Suryavarta – It grows in the direction of the sun.

4. Classical Categorization

• Charaka Samhita – Not mentioned
• Sushrut Samhita – Not mentioned
• Dhanvantari Nighantu – Karavveradi varga
• Madanpal Nighantu – Abhayadi varga
• Kaiyadev Nighantu – Oshadi varga
• Raj Nighantu – Shatahwadi varga
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Guduchyadi varga

5. Distribution

It grows as a common weed throughout India, ascending to 1800 m in the Himalayas, upper Gangetic plains and in Chota Nagpur. Bihar, Odisha, Punjab, and the Western and Southern parts of India. This herb is found throughout India near moist water sources like riverbanks, ponds, canals, marshy places, and water reservoirs.

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6. Morphology

It is an erect or prostrate herb that grows up to 40cm high.

Stem – Herbaceous, branched, occasionally rooting at nodes, cylindrical or flat, rough due to oppressed white hair, node distinct, greenish, occasionally brownish.

Leaves – Simple, opposite, sessile, lanceolate-oblong, 2 to 8cm length, 1.2 to 2.3 cm width, and strigose with oppressed hair on both sides.

Flowers – Small, white colored, axillary with peduncled rayed heads, receptacle flat, Ray florets female, white ligulate, as long as involucral bracts. Disc flowers are bisexual, tubular, and greenish-yellow. Corolla is often four-toothed. Stamens are five, filament epipetalous, free, another united into a tube with base obtuse. Pistil is bicarpellary. The ovary is inferior and unicolor with one basal ovule.

Fruits – Achene type, single-seeded, cuneate, brown color with a narrow wing, covered with warts.

Seeds – Small, dark brown, and hairy.

Root – Cylindrical, grayish, white-colored tap root with many secondary branches.

Cultivation of the herb False Daisy is not needed as it is a very common weed of the rainy season growing gregariously on waste places. It is easily propagated by seeds; vegetative propagation of False Daisy was tried by stem cuttings.

7. Types of False Daisy

Raj Nighantu has described its three varieties based on flower color.

• Shwet Bhringaraj – Eclipta Alba
• Peet Bhringaraj – Weddelia chinensis – It bears a yellow flower.
• Neel Bhringaraj

8. Ayurvedic Properties

• Guna – Ruksha, Tikshan
• Rasa – Katu, Tikta
• Vipaka – Katu
• Virya – Ushna

9. Chemical Constituents

Eclipta alba contains a wide range of active principles which includes coumestans, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, and triterpenoids. The leaves contain stigmasterol, wedelolactone, and glucoside. The roots give hentriacontanol and heptaconsanol. The roots contain polyacetylene-substituted thiophene, the aerial part contains phytosterol, in the extract, and luteolin-7-glucoside, a glucoside of a triterpenic acid.

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10. Identity, Purity & Strength

• Foreign Matter – Not more than 2%
• Total Ash – Not more than 22%
• Acid-insoluble ash – Not more than 11%
• Alcohol-soluble extractive – Not less than 5%
• Water-soluble extractive – Not less than 15%

(Source: The Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia of India 2001)

11. Ayurvedic & Pharmacological Actions

Ayurvedic - Bhringaraj is a hair tonic, skin tonic, strengthen tooth, rejuvenator, and eye tonic. It also has anti-poison, anti-inflammatory, appetizer, digestive, hepatic stimulant, and intellect promoter properties.

• Doshakarma – Kaphavatahara
• Dhatukarma – Rasayana, twachya, balya
• Malakarma - Kesya

Pharmacological - Eclipta alba possesses hepto-protective, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, antimalarial, antioxidants, hair promoting, immunomodulatory, anticancer activities.

12. Health Benefits

It is beneficial in the treatment of skin diseases, inflammatory diseases, rejuvenation, worm infestation, cough, asthma, anemia, and eye disease. It has been used for generations in traditional medicine for promoting hair growth. Some tribes of Odisha use paste, and pills prepared with Bhringaraj and black pepper for fever and jaundice. Tribes of Tripura state of India, use 5 to 10ml of leaf juice daily for hepatic disorders. Leaf extract of Bhringaraj is applied to remove dandruff and also make hair silky and shiny. Leaves and flowers are used for the treatment of urinary problems, jaundice, asthma, and cough by the local practitioner of Mont Abu.

13. Therapeutic Uses

External Uses

Skin Disease – Paste of Mehandi and Bhringaraj is applied externally for skin disease, burns, ulcers, and wounds.

Soft Chancre – Bhringaraj juice is used to wash the wound of venereal disease.

Premature Grey Hairs - Take 2 tbsp. of trailing eclipta powder and mix with black sesame seeds and Indian Gooseberry powder, take this mixture with milk and sugar. Helps to treat premature grey hairs.

Internal Uses

Graying Hair – Medicated oil prepared with juice of Bhringaraj, milk, and honey is used daily to stop graying hair.

Hepatitis and Jaundice – Bhringaraj powder with Punarnava decoction is used daily for jaundice, hepatitis, anemia, and indigestion.

Rejuvenation – Bhringaraj juice is taken daily for one month. During this period, patients should be on milk only. It helps to provide strength and vigor, and also retain 100 years of life span.

Acidity – Regular use of Haritaki powder and Bhringaraj mixed with jaggery prevents vomiting caused by hyperacidity in amalpitta.

Vitiligo – Bhringaraj is fried with oil in an iron vessel, and this is given to the vitiligo patient with milk.

Establishment of Fetus – Regular intake of Bhringaraj juice mixed with an equal quantity of milk helps in maintaining pregnancy and prevents habitual abortion.

Night Blindness – Intake of fish eggs cooked with Bhringaraj for a week, keeping the patient on a wholesome diet, cures night blindness.

Vaginal Pain – Paste of root of Bilwa and Bhringaraj is taken with wine. It reduces pain in the vagina.

Catarrh in Babies - Take two drops of trailing eclipta leaf juice and mix with 8 drops of honey, it is an herbal remedy to treat catarrh in babies.

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14. Official Part Used

Roots, Seeds, Seed oil, and whole plant.

15. Doses

Juice – 5 to 10 ml

16.  Hair Pack Recipe

Try this hair pack at home, it is best to control grey hairs and promote hair growth. Use this hair pack 2 times a month, you will see the visible results after 4-5 months.

Ingredients

• Trailing Eclipta Leaf Powder – 2 tbsp.
• Red Onion Juice – 2 tsp
• Indian gooseberry Powder – 2 tbsp.
• Bacopa Monnieri Powder– 1 tbsp.
• Butea Monosperma Powder– 1 tbsp.
• Acacia Concinna Pods Powder – 1 tbsp.

Method

• Take a bowl and add all the ingredients in it, to make a smooth paste.
• Apply this paste to your scalp and on hairs.
• Leave it for 35-40 minutes.
• Wash hair with normal water.
• Then apply mustard oil after the hair is completely dry.
• Wash with shampoo after 2-3 days of the pack.