Achyranthes aspera

Common name
Ara songsang, Nyarang sunsang , Arasongsang, Nyarang songsang, Nyarang sunsang,Prickly chaff flower, Colic weed, Cow pimpler, Devils whip, Man better man, Prickly chaff-flower, Rough chaff flower, Rough chaff tree, Soldier rod, Washerman’s plant

Morphology

Leaves
Ovate-obovate or elliptical-oblong, measuring 1-10 cm x 1-5 cm, with attenuate base, with obtuse apex or acute, hairless to densely hairy and with 5-15 mm long petiole.  The tepals are ovate-lance-shaped, measure 3.5-6.5 mm long, 3-veined, green, pungent in fruit and the pseudo-staminodes are with a fimbriate scale. The pericarp is oblong, about 3 mm long and dark brown.


Spike
Terminal and axillary, measures about 10-75 cm long, including a peduncle 0.5-15 cm long. The rachis is stiff, ribbed and more or less densely white hairy. The ovate bracts are 2-3.5 mm long, acuminate at apex, not pungent and silvery. The bracteoles are ovate, with spines 2.5-4.5 mm long, sharp, with basal wing adnate to spine which is easily detaching and measuring 1-2 mm long.

Chemical compound
Shoot contains aliphatic dihydroxyketone, 36,47-dihydroxyhenpentacontan-4-one, tritriacontanol, essential oil, a long chain alcohol, 17-pentatriacontanol, 27-cyclohexylheptacosan-7-ol, 16-hydroxy-26-methylheptacosan-2-one, 4-methylheptatriacont-1-en-10-ol and tetracontanol-2. Ecdysterone was found in the seeds, stem, leaves and root. Chloroform extract of the stem contains pentatriacontan, 6-pentatriacontanone, hexatriacontane and triacontane. Flavonoids and alkaloids were found in the inflorescence. aerial parts has been reported to contain saponins. seeds has been reported to contain protein with amino acid contents of leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine and valine while tryptophan and sulphur amino acid (methionine and cystine) root contains oleanolic acid as the aglycone from the saponin, alkaloids but no flavonoids. powder contained high levels of manganese, magnesium, zinc, calcium and phosphorus in comparison to those of common vegetables and plants.

Traditional uses

• An antipyretic, an anti-inflammatory agent, a diuretic and for the treatment of constipation, fever (especially malarial fever), bronchitis, sprains, dysentery, asthma, hypertension, diabetes and as wound dressing.
• The whole plant is used in the treatment of diabetes and as a blood purifier.
• The whole plant is dried and burnt to an ash which is then mixed with common salt and massaged onto the gums and tooth area to relieve toothache while the stem is used as a tooth brush.
• The crushed leaves are used as a dressing to promote blood clotting

Medicinal uses

• Leaf extracts help in thyroid hormones activity by increasing body weights, hepatic protein content and serum glucose levels.
• Methanol extract of A. aspera leaves (3 and 5.5 g/kg body weight, p.o.) showed anti-fertility activity,
• 50% ethanolic extract elicited reproductive toxicity by inhibit male reproduction ability activity by treating the reduced sperm count, reduced weight of epididymis, reduced serum testosterone and reduced testicular 3b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity. 
• Powdered whole plant of A. aspera (2, 3 & 4 g/kg) and its water and methanol extracts (at doses equivalent to 4 g/kg) caused dose-dependent reductions in blood glucose levels in normal and alloxan diabetic with acetohexamide used as the standard antidiabetic drug.
• The ethanolic extract of A. aspera (100 – 500 mg/kg) showed anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activity
• The achyranthine and the entire plant showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococuss heamolyticus and Bacillus typhosus. -The cystone (400 and 500 mg/kg, p.o.) produced a significant increase in urine volume and also significantly increased sodium, potassium and calcium excretion.

List of country
Malaysia, Australia and America

Nur Athirah Roshaizi

Nur Athirah Roshaizi

English