Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. (= Hydrocotyle asiatica L.)

DeFilipps, Robert A. & Krupnick, Gary A., 2018, The medicinal plants of Myanmar, PhytoKeys 102, pp. 1-341 : 9

Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. (= Hydrocotyle asiatica L.)

Names.

Myanmar: myin-hkwa, myin-khwar pin, ranjneh hnah (Chin), hlahnip chai (Mon). English: Indian pennywort.

Range.

Throughout tropical and some subtropical parts of world. Widely distributed in Myanmar, especially in the cooler regions, and found all year near the water’s edge. Although it grows wild, it is also widely cultivated as it is much used.

Conservation status.

Least Concern [LC] ( IUCN 2017).

Uses.

Whole plant: Used to treat diabetes, and as a laxative and diuretic. Leaf: Has a sweet, bitter, sharp, hot taste. Used to control phlegm, treat skin diseases, itching, rashes, sores, and leprosy. The juice squeezed from the leaves- is drunk together with sugar and honey daily to give strength and vitality; mixed with an equal amount of kerosene and massaged into cysts that form on joints; 1 teaspoon given to children to treat colds, fevers, and it will also loosen the bowels; applying or taking it can cure skin diseases. For injuries, applying the juice will reduce the inflammation. The leaves can be made into a drink taken to treat dysentery and urine retention, painful urination, and blood in the urine. Eaten with pepper and honey, they promote health. The leaf is also used in compounds for tonics, poison neutralizers, to treat sores, and as a medicine for sore eyes. Leaves are dried and used as an herbal tea to alleviate hyper- tension, and to treat severe sore eyes and hypersensitivity to strong light. The green leaves, are crushed, wrapped in a thin cloth and used as an eye mask, or the juice is squeezed and applied as eye drops. Additionally, leaves are dried in the shade, made into a powder, mixed together with an equal amount of honey, and licked at bedtime for a good night’s sleep. To treat coughs and tuberculosis in children, leaf powder is mixed with water, warmed, and applied to the chest.

Notes.

The medicinal uses of this species in India are discussed in Jain and DeFilipps (1991). Medicinal uses of this species in China are discussed in Duke and Ayensu (1985).

References.

Nordal (1963), Agricultural Corporation (1980), Forest Department (1999).