Overview
It is a perennial herb with innumerable spreading ascending branched stems. Its leaves are smooth and pinnate with deeply cut segments. The stems are thick, hollow and grow along the ground then start turning upwards.
Each stem bears a flower, large and 2.5 to 3.5 cm wide in which disc flowers are yellow and ray flowers are white, tinged with purple beneath. Roots are cylindrical, 10-15cm in length, white in color with hairy rootlets, its external surface is rough brown, and its bark is upto3 mm thick.
- Its Botanical name is Spilanthes acmella and it belongs to family Compositae.
- Part used for the medicinal purpose : Root
- Plant Type : Herb
- Other common name : Akarkara
Names in Different languages
- English : Pyrethrum, Spanish Chamomile, Pellitory
- Hindi : Akalkara
- Punjabi : Akarakara
- Tamil : Akkarakam
- Assamese : Kulekhara
- Marathi : Akkalakada
Habitat
It is native to North Africa and Arabic countries. It is cultivated in the Himalayan Region.
What are the Medicinal Properties of Spilanthes Seed?
- Ras (Taste): Katu (Pungent)
- Guna (Qualities): Ruksha (Dry) and Tikshna (Sharp)
- Virya (Potency): Ushna (Heat)
- Vipaka (Undergoes Transformation after Digestion): Katu (Pungent)
Karma (Actions)
- Vajikarak : Increases the sexual power
- Kaphahara : Decreases Kapha Dosha
- Deepana : Promotes the Appetite
- Svedana : Promotes the perspiration secretion
What are the Medicinal uses of Spilanthes Seed?
- It is used both internally as well as externally, improves digestion and to kill the parasites and applied externally in Rheumatic Joints and in toothache also.
- Effective in Facial Paralysis
- Treats Epilepsy, neurasthenia, anxiety, epilepsy, and depression
- Useful in dental cavities, toothache, and other dental problems
- Also used in the treatment of Rheumatic pain
- Used in flaccidity of tongue, tonsils, chronic cough, and stammering
- Treats liver diseases
- Also useful in boils and sores
What are the Therapeutic uses of Spilanthes Seed?
1. Toothaches and Other Dental Conditions
It is a very effective herb used in dental conditions that acts an anti-inflammatory that reduces the pain and inflammation. It also kills the bacteria that damages the tooth by acting as an anti-bacterial and prevents the tooth from decaying. It works as an antibiotic in an abscessed tooth, if the infection spreads widely.
2. Anxiety and Depression
This herb works as an anti-depressant that relieves depression and elevates the mood. It acts as a sedative and anxiolytic that relieves anxiety and promotes sleep.
It also works as a nerve pain medication that blocks the pain which is caused by damaged nerves.
3. Rheumatic Joints
It works as an immunosuppressive that reduces the immune response and alleviates the inflammation as well as chronic pain by acting as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory. The patient started getting relief in a shorter period of time.
4. Facial Paralysis
It acts as an inflammatory herb that reduces the pain and inflammation, along with this, the patient has to do exercise to help prevent this from occurring. This will provide relief.
5. Improves Digestion
This herb works as an antacid and acid blocker that neutralizes excess stomach acid to relieve heartburn, upset and sour stomach and also used to relieve the stomach pain and improves the appetite.
6. Stammering, Chronic Cough, and Tonsils
This herb is used as an anti-anxiety agent that relieves anxiety and also improves the fluency of speech and reduces the impact of stammering.
In chronic cough, it acts as a suppressant that suppresses the cough reflex and expectorant that clears the passage of airways and provides relief from other symptoms like pain and congestion in the chest and also useful in tonsils by reducing the inflammation as well as pain.
7. Liver Diseases
It treats the liver diseases such as cirrhosis of liver, hepatitis, and other disorders by acting as an anti-inflammatory and antiviral that reduces the liver inflammation as well as kills the viral and detoxifies the liver and helps in the regeneration of new liver cells.
8. Burns and Sores
This herb acts as an antiseptic and antibiotic that kills the bacteria as well as provides relief in pain, infection, putrefaction, and sepsis. In sores, it acts as an antibiotic and antibacterial that prevents from infections and kills bacteria.
Different Preparations can be made by Spilanthes Seed
Decoction, Tincture, Tablet, Powder
Different Doses of these Preparations:
- Tincture : 2ml
- Decoction : 5 to 10ml
