Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

The plant contains flavone glycosides—nodiflorins
A and B, lipiflorins
A and B, as well as free flavones including
6-hydroxyluteolin, nepetin and
nodifloretin along with beta-sitosterol
and stigmasterol glucosides.
Dosage ◮ Plant—10–20 ml. juice.
(CCRAS.)
Phyllanthus amarus
Schum. & Thonn.
Phyllanthus fraternus Webster.
Family ◮ Euphorbiaceae.
Habitat ◮ Throughout the hotter
parts of India, particularly on
cultivated land, up to 1,000 m.
Ayurvedic ◮ Bhuumyaamalaki, Bahupatri,
Bhuudhaatri, Bahuphalaa,
Taamalaki.
Unani ◮ Bhui Aaamalaa.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Keelkaay Nelli.
Action ◮ Plant—diuretic, deobstruent,
astringent, anti-inflammatory,
styptic. Used as a single drug in
the treatment of jaundice. Used
in prescriptions for dyspepsia,
indigestion, chronic dysentery,
urinary tract diseases, diabetes, skin
eruptions.
The leaves yielded lignans—phyllanthin
(bitter), hypophyllanthin (nonbitter);
niranthin, nirtetralin and phyltetralin.
The whole plant gave a number
of flavonoids, including quercetin,
quercitrin, astragalin, rutin, kaempferol.
Isolation of a hydrolysable tannins,
amarulone, is reported from the plant.
Phyllanthus distichus Muell.-Arg. 481
The plant is reported to show antiviral
activity against hepatitis B virus and
related hepadna virus. It was also found
to effectively repair CCl4-induced liver
damage in rats.
The herb exhibited hypotensive and
hypoglycaemic activity. (Indian J Exp
Biol 1995, 33 (11) 861–864.)
Phyllanthus fraternus Webster: The
ethanolic extract of the plant exhibited
hepatotoxic-protective activity in
albino rats pretreated with CCl-4, The
petroleum extract is reported to possess
analgesic and anti-inflammatory
properties. The flavonoids, isolated
from the ethanolic extract of the
plant, exhibit hypoglycaemic activity
in alloxan-treated albino rats. The
ethanolic and aqueous extracts of the
plant exhibit antibacterial and antifungal
activity.
Dosage ◮ Root, stem, leaf—3–6.
powder. (API, Vol. I and III.)
Phyllanthus distichus Muell.-Arg.
Synonym ◮ P. acidus Skeels.
Cicca acida (Linn.) Merrill.
Family ◮ Euphorbiaceae.
Habitat ◮ Indian gardens.
English ◮ Country Gooseberry.
Ayurvedic ◮ Lavali-phala, Lowani
Hariphala.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Aranelli.
Action ◮ Fruit—astringent, tonic to
liver; improves appetite, useful in
biliousness, constipation, vomiting,
bronchitis. Roots and seed—
cathartic. The juice of the root
P