CREAT (Andrographis paniculata Wall)

Creat is erect branched annual, which grows to a height of 0.3 – 0.9 meters and belongs to the plant family Acanthaceae. The branches of this plant are sharply quadrangular and narrowly winged in the upper region.  The leaves are 5-7.5 cm. long, lanceolate and slightly undulate with 4-6 nerves. The flowers are small and solitary and found in the axis or on the terminal ends as a pyramidal inflorescence.  The corolla is light pink, one cm. long, hairy and two-liped.  The fruits or capsules are 20 mm. long and tapering at both ends.  They contain numerous tiny yellowish-brown seeds.

Medicinal Use

·         Stomachache, irregular stools and loss of appetite in infants.

·         General debility or weakness, dysentery and dyspepsia or indigestion.

·         Controls fever, sore throat.  Helps in digestion, liver and spleen enlargement, constipation, and jaundice;  is anthelmintic and laxative.

How to use

• The juice of the leaves mixed with powdered cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon is dried in the sun, made into little round pills and given to infants to take care of stomachache, irregular stools and loss of appetite.
• The decoction of the whole plant is used to take care of general debility or weakness, dysentery and dyspepsia or indigestion.
• The decoction of the roots and the leaves together help with fever, sore throat, digestion, liver and spleen enlargement, constipation, jaundice, and is anthelmintic and laxative

Parts used

The whole plant

Dose

Normal