Bramhi (Bacopa monnieri, family : Scrophulariaceae) as medicinal herb in Chhattisgarh, India : Natural occurrence, Traditional medicinal knowledge, cultivation and trade.

Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia
© 2001,2002,2003 Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved

Bramhi (Bacopa monnieri syn. Herpestis monnieria syn Moniera cuneifolia) is well known prostrate herb distributed in damp, marshy areas throughout India. In Chhattisgarh, it is present in limited pockets. The traditional healers and natives of Chhattisgarh are aware of different medicinal properties and uses of Bramhi and they are using it as medicinal herb since time immemorial. Bramhi is in the list of non-wood forest produces of Chhattisgarh having regular high demand. The herb traders informed me that the forests of Chhattisgarh are rich in six types of Bramhi. There is a big confusion about real Bramhi among the traders. In the name of Bramhi, most of them supply other herbs. As dried parts are supplied and in most of the cases, the herbs are supplied in powder form, in absence of advance laboratory facilities, it is very difficult to identify the true species through visual observations. The herb traders consider all species more or less similar in terms of medicinal properties. This is really surprising that in the name of Bramhi, the herb named Mandukparni, Jal Bramhi, Muscaini etc. are supplied without any problem or hesitation. In Chhattisgarh, these false species grow like weeds and easy to find. One of my trader friends disclose that the adulteration is possible only upto national level. At international level, the buyers are aware of this malpractice and they take full precaution before purchasing the herb in bulk. As mentioned earlier, Bramhi is one of the well known and frequently used herb in reputed herbal combinations. In India, the consumers purchase any formulation without any hesitation after seeing the name of Bramhi on packets. The adulteration is common in all parts of India then it is really surprising that how far the Bramhi based formulations are really effective ? Although the traders claim that all species used for adulteration possess similar medicinal properties but reference literatures related to different system of medicine in India do not support their claims. The traditional healers are also unanimous in opinion, that only true Bramhi is capable of treating specific troubles. They informed me the adulteration is not done in specific proportion every time, hence this malpractice can cause great harms to human health instead of benefits. This is shocking news for herb lovers and users of India but this is bare fact. Most of the leading pharmaceutical companies are dependent on the herb traders supplying different herbs from different corners of India. Very few companies have their own herbal farms where they are producing the herbs used in their products. One of my friends working at reputed Indian company, disclosed the fact that the herbs under cultivation in herbal farms of companies are for export purposes. According to him, the international rules are very strict. In India the rules are not strict and as result, the consumers are getting herbal formulations having adulterated herbs.

As herb expert, I have attended over 72 national and international conferences, seminars etc. on different aspects of herbs. In most of these programmes, I have noted the bitter fact that our researchers are also unaware of true identification. They conduct research on inferior species and due to poor identification, report the findings in the name of Bramhi. Every year, lot of money is wasted in such works and wrong information goes to scientific community. Last week I receive one Ph.D. thesis for review. The title indicates that the work has been done on Chirayata (Swertia chirayata) but when I read the botanical description given in introduction chapter, I found it as Kalmegh. When I informed his supervisor, I got shocking response. The supervisor wrote, please ignore this mistake for the sake of student's future. There are many such examples. But I personally feel that this must be stopped. In Chhattisgarh, due to heavy demand of Bramhi the pockets rich in Bramhi, are becoming empty. To reduce the pressure on natural forests, we are encouraging the farmers for its commercial cultivation. The confusion regarding species exists in the field of planting material supply also. The seed suppliers are supplying wrong species in the name of Bramhi and new growers are among the sufferers, because they are not aware that wrong species are present in abundance as wasteland plants, and there is no need for its commercial cultivation. The herb growers are adopting the Agronomical practices recommended by the CIMAP, Lucknow. But they have many local problems. Unfortunately, the research organisations at Chhattisgarh are not taking interest in developing package of practices for commercial cultivation of Bramhi. With the help of innovative herb growers of Chhattisgarh and non-governmental organisations, we have started field trials particularly in areas where Brambi occurs naturally. We are aware that cultivation after domestication, interferes in medicinal properties of particular herb but in terms of natural chemical contents, we are getting more encouraging results from Bramhi cultivation in natural areas as compared to Bramhi cultivation far from these areas. Although through surface observation, I have observed that the natural population is decreasing and recent surveys by national organisations engaged in botanical surveys have confirmed this observation but the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh are not fully convinced. According to them, there are still many Bramhi rich pockets in dense forests, free from human interference. Through my on-going ethnobotanical surveys, I am trying to visit these rich pockets. Now I am describing botany of Bramhi and related species Mandukparni (Centella asiatica) and Muscaini (Ipomoea reniformis) with their reported medicinal uses.

I suggest you to read the botanical differences particularly the differences in leaves carefully, in order to avoid any type of confusion in future. According to reference literatures, Bramhi is a glabrous, succulent herb. Stems rooting at the nodes, branches many ascending. Leaves sessile, decussate, 6-25 x 2.5 - 10 mm, obovate - oblong or spatulate, fleshy, black dotted, entire (please note it). Flowers axillary, solitary. Corolla two lipped, pale blue or white, lobes equal spangled, when fresh with shining dots. Fruit capsule, avoid, acute. Seeds oblong, striate, pale. The leaves of Mandukparni and Muscaini are reniform and can be differentiated simply. Mandukparni is named Mandukparni because its leaf shape resembles Manduk i.e. frog (Parni-leaf). Muscaini leaf resembles the ears of mouse (Mus-mouse, Caini- ears). The size of Muscaini leaf is relatively less as compared to Mandukparni leaf. Other botanical differences are here. Mandukparni is a slender herbaceous plant, stem creeping with long internodes, rooting at the nodes. Leaves 1-3 from each node, orbicular, reniform, base deeply cordate stipulate. Flowers in fascicled umbels, minute, pink. Fruits 4mm long, ovoid, hard-rugose. Muscaini is a herb, stems many filiform, creeping and rooting at the nodes, clothed with long hairs. Leaves 1.3-2.5 cm broad, reniform or ovate-cordate, crenate, glabrous, petioles hairy. Flowers yellow, axillary, solitary or 2-3 together on a very short peduncle. Fruits capsule, sub-globose, surrounded by ciliate sepals. Seeds dark chestnut coloured. The above described botanical descriptions clearly indicates that it is not difficult to differentiate all socalled related species. These descriptions also indicate that the existing adulteration is intentionally not incidentally. We are dreaming to establish India as leading herb supplier but these malpractices are creating problems for us. The common Indian knows Bramhi as memory enhancer and hair growth promoter because the formulations used for these two problems, are in heavy demand in almost all parts of India. The recent research works have shown that the active principal, Hersaponin, resembles reserpine and chlororomazine in its central action and is reported to be promising new tranquillizer. The entire plant constitutes drug which is used in insanity, epilepsy and as potent diuretic, cardio-tonic and nerve tonic. According to Ayurveda, the whole plant is bitter, pungent, heating, emetic, laxative and useful in bad ulcers, inflammations, tumours, ascites , enlargement of spleen, indigestion, leprosy, anaemia, biliousness etc. According to Unani system of medicine, Bramhi is bitter, aphrodisiac, good in scabies, leucoderma, syphilis. It purifies blood, useful in diarrhoea and pyrexia, maturant and expectorant. As medicinal herb, there is no separate demand of Mandukparni (Centella asiatica) and Muscaini.

I have noted that the Mandukparni possess more properties and popular uses as compared to Bramhi but never noted or heard that it is adulterated with Bramhi. According to Ayurveda, Mandukparni is acrid, bitter, digestible, tonic, cooling, laxative, alterative, alexiteric, antipyretic, improves appetite, voice , memory, cures leucoderma, anaemia, urinary discharges, blood diseases, bronchitis, inflammations, fevers, biliousness, spleen enlargement, thirst, asthma, small-pox etc. It is also used in insanity. According to Unani system of medicine, Mandukparni is bitter, soporific, sedative to nerves, cardio-tonic, tonic, stomachic, carminative, diuretic, clears voice and brains, hiccup, asthma, bronchitis, scalding of urine, headache and improves appetite. It is reported that sun-dried leaves of Bramhi possess less medicinal properties but the herb traders of Chhattisgarh are not aware of this fact and they are adopting this faulty practice of sun drying. The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh use Bramhi as nerve-tonic. Through my ethnobotanical surveys conducted in different parts of Chhattisgarh. I have identified only fifteen healers specialised in use of Bramhi as medicinal herb. In general, they use whole plant as medicine alone or in combination with other herbs. The fresh juice is preferred. In specific cases, the healers use root powder also. The traditional healers of Narharpur region informed me that the leaf juice can be successfully used externally in treatment of rheumatism. But as other promising alternatives are available, the healers use it less frequently. The natives of Bastar region, burn the dried herb and suggest the patients having acute asthmatic attack to inhale the fumes to get immediate relief. The poultice of boiled plant is also applied externally on chest to treat the problem of suffocation. Although Chhattisgarh forests fulfil the national and international demand of Bramhi but it is bitter fact that not a single pharmaceutical company or processing unit is active in Chhattisgarh to utilize this important and relatively cheaper raw material.

The problem of adulteration in Bramhi is serious problem and there is a strong need to stop this malpractice well in time. The promotion of its commercial cultivation is also necessary to prevent this herb to become endangered.

Thank you very much for reading the article.