Apamarga (Achyranthes aspera)

Apamarga (Achyranthes aspera) – Uses & Benefits

Introduction

Apamarga, commonly known as ‘Prickly chaff flower’ is an erect,  stiff, annual-perennial herb,  often with a woody base found commonly in waste places roadsides, gardens, fields or farms, forest edges, forest clearings and other places. The name ‘Apamarga’ indicates that the plant mitigate all three vitiated doshas. The word ‘Achyranthes’ means the plant have numerous thorns in it and ‘aspera’ indicates the spinous bracts of inflorescence of prickly chaff flower plant.  Apamarga is one of the important and most used herbs in Ayurveda due to its vast variety of actions and ability to pacify all three doshas. So it is widely used in many disease conditions including allergic reactions.

Dr. Gupta’s IAFA conducted various studies to prove the actions of Apamarga. Through these studies experts have found that Apamarga have antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antiallergic, abortificient, diuretic, antileprotic, purgative, spasmolytic, hypoglycemic and antifungal actions. Through various studies the IAFA scholars have found out that the leaf extract of apamarga have wound healing and antioxidant activities. The alkaloids, steroids and triterpeneses found in the leaf extract bring about this action.  Spermatotoxic effects are shown by protein isolated from roots of Apamarga. Saponin from leaf extracts of this herb is found to have larvicidal activity. The root extract of Apamarga is proven possessing abortificient action.