Vasaka herb review and research study

Vasaka herb is also called adhatoda, adalodakam or malabar nut. Vasaka consists of dried, as well as fresh, leaves of the plant Justicia adhatoda. Adhatoda vasica Nees (Acantheceae), commonly known as Vasaka, is a well-known plant in indigenous systems of medicine and is used for its beneficial effects, particularly in bronchitis.

As of 2010, no published human studies with vasaka herb could be found.

Anti-ulcer activity of Adhatoda vasica Nees.
J Herb Pharmacother. 2006. Shrivastava N, Srivastava A. Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, B.V. Patel Pharmaceutical Education & Research Development Centre, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
The present investigation was carried out to study the anti-ulcer activity of Vasaka herb leaves using two ulcer models (1) Ethanol-induced, and (2) Pylorus ligation plus aspirin-induced models. Vasaka herb leaf powder showed considerable degree of anti-ulcer activity in experimental rats when compared with a control. The highest degree of activity (80%) was observed in the ethanol-induced ulceration model. Results of the study suggest that in addition to its classically established pharmacological activities, Vasaka herb plant also has immense potential as an anti-ulcer agent of great therapeutic relevance.

Anticestodal activity of Adhatoda vasica extract against Hymenolepis diminuta infections in rats.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2008. Department of Zoology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, India.
Adhatoda vasica Nees has been commonly used in the indigenous system of medicine of Naga tribes in India for curing intestinal worm infections. In this study the anticestodal efficacy of Adhatoda vasica leaf extract was evaluated using Hymenolepis diminuta-rat experimental model. The anticestodal efficacy of leaf extract was determined by monitoring the eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces counts and percentage worm recovery rates following treatment with methanol leaf extract of this plant to different groups of rats harbouring immature and mature Hymenolepis diminuta infections. The result indicated 800 mg/kg double dose of extract has profound efficacy against mature worms, where the EPG count was reduced by 79% and percentage worm recovery rate by 16%. These effects were better than treatment with 5 mg/kg single dose of praziquantel, the standard drug. In case of efficacy against immature worms, the extract showed a significant reduction in worm recovery rate (from 100% in control to 20.00% at 800 mg/kg dose of extract). The study shows that the leaf extract of Adhatoda vasica possesses significant anticestodal efficacy and supports its use in the folk medicine.

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