PDR for Herbal Medicines

HERBAL MONOGRAPHS PICRORHIZA /589

Roth L, Daunderer M, Kormann K. Giftpflanzen, Pflanzengifte,

4. Aufl., Ecomed Fachverlag Landsberg Lech 1993.
   Seeger R, Mescalin. In: DAZ 133(2):24. 1993.
   Steinegger E, Hansel R, Pharmakognosie, 5. Aufl., Springer
   H Verlag Heidelberg 1992.

Teuscher E, Lindequist U, Biogene Gifte - Biologie, Chemie,

Pharmakologie, 2. Aufl., Fischer Verlag Stuttgart 1994.

Willaman JJ, Hui-Li L, (1970) Lloydia 33(3A):1.

Phaseolus vulgaris

See Bean Pod

Phoenix dactylifera

See Date Palm

Phragmites communis

See Reed Herb

Phyllanthus amarus

See Black Catnip

Physalfe alkekengi

See Winter Cherry

Physostigma venenosum

See Calabar Bean

Phytolacca americana

See Poke

Picea species

Picrasma excelsa

See Quassia

Picrorhiza

Picrorhiza kurroa

See Spruce

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal part of the plant is the

rhizome, which is cut and dried.

Flower and Fruit: The inflorescence is a terminal, dense

spike, 5 to 10 cm long, on an upright peduncle over a rosette

of dentate leaves (may be absent). The sepals are fused.

approximately 6 mm long. The calyx is 5-lobed and

pubescent, the corolla 5-lobed, radial, pale blue or reddish-

blue. There are A stamens, and the ovary is 2-chambered

with numerous ovules. The flowers are dimorphic, having

either 6 to 8 mm long corollas and 8 mm long filaments or a

single 6 mm long corolla and 2 cm long filaments. The fruit

is an approximately 1.3 cm long, ovoid, 4-sided capsule. The

seeds are ellipsoid with a translucent, thick, blistery aril.

Leaves, Stem and Roots: The leaves on this herbaceous

creeping perennial are alternate, 5 to 15 cm long and 2 to 6

cm wide. The lamina is coriaceous, spatulate to narrow-

elliptical with a rounded tip. The margin is dentate and the

petiole winged. The rhizome is woody, up to 25 cm long.

and covered in the remains of dried leaf bases.

Habitat: The plant is native to the mountains of India, Nepal.

Tibet and Pakistan.

Production: Kharbagehindi (Arabic name) roots are the cut

and dried rhizome of Picrorhiza kurroa, which are collected

in the wild.

Not to be Confused With: Mistaken identity can occur with

Lagotis cashmiriana.

Other Names: Kharbagehindi

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS

Iridoids: catalpol derivatives, including picroside I (0.6 to

7.4%, extremely bitter), kutkoside (10-O-vanilloyl catalpoL

with picroside I present in a stable state as a mixed crystal:

kutkin), picroside II (3 to 5%), minecoside (0.5%), veronico-

side and picroside III

Acetophenone derivatives: androsine (0.1 to 0.7%), apocynin

(0.1%), picein