Ayapana (Eupatorium triplinerve) Herb Information and Medicinal Uses

Ayapan is an ornamental and medicinal plant native to South America. It is found in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, India and many other tropical countries. It is a perennial plant belonging to plant family Asteraceae. Asteraceae or Compositae family is commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family and it is the second largest family in its division with about 1, 100 genera and over 20, 000 recognized species.

Ayapan is known as Vishalyakarni in Sanskrit and is considered an herb that heals wounds and controls blood clotting. The leaves and stem of Ayapana are indicated in bleeding diarrhea, bleeding piles, bleeding from the stomach or bleeding from any part of the body.

Latin name: Eupatorium triplinerve Vahl;SYNONYM: Ayapana triplinervis (Vahl) and Eupatorium ayapana

Family: Asteraceae

Vernacular names

1. SANSKRIT: Vishalyakarni, Ayaparnah
2. ENGLISH: Ayapana tea
3. HINDI: Ayapan, Ayaparna
4. GUJARAT: Ayapan
5. MARATHI: Ayapan, Ayapani (Maharashtra)
6. BENGALI: Vishalyakarni, Ayapan, Ayapani
7. MALAYALAM: Aiyappana, Mrithasanjeevani
8. TAMIL: Ayappani
9. PLANT TYPE: Sub shrub
10. PROPAGATION: Seeds
11. MEDICINAL PART: Leaves, stem

IDENTIFICATION: Leaves are aromatic. Plant is an ornamental and grows up to height of 20-30 cm high. Leaves are 5-8 cm long. Many flowering heads, each 6 to 13 mm long and bear about twenty pink flowers, which are 6 to 7 mm long.

Medicinal uses of Ayapana (Eupatorium triplinerve)

Ayapana has antiseptic, expectorant, the liver protecting, ulcer preventing, and wound healing properties. Its oral intake stops bleeding, detoxifies blood, cures fever, promotes sweating and thins the blood.

Purgation

Purgation or Virechan (Ayurveda) is an induced cleaning process using herbs. It is done to cleanse digestive system and typically recommended in Pitta/Bile and the liver disorders. It is useful in piles, poisoning, skin diseases, nausea, vomiting, colitis, chronic fevers, enlarged abdomen and jaundice. Virechan helps body to get rid of ama/toxins and excess pitta. Excessive bile or Pitta in the body is responsible for many diseases such as skin diseases, pimples, rashes, vomiting, jaundice, etc.

Virechan is not done in weak, old people, pregnant women, during menstruation, in uterus prolapse, weak digestion, Vata diseases, bleeding disorders, etc.

Ayapanai has laxative and emetic properties due to which it can be used for virechan purpose. A decoction prepared using all five parts of the plant viz. leaves, roots, flowers, fruits and stem when taken in large doses causes vomiting and loose motions.

Piles (bavasir)

The leaves of the plant are ground and then squeezed to get the juice. This juice is taken in a dose of 10-20 ml, 2-3 times a day for a few days.

Fever due to cough or excess pitta/bile

Ayapanai has expectorant properties. In the case of fever due to cough, prepare a decoction by boiling 10 gm leaves in 200 ml water. Drink this twice or thrice a day.

Malaria fever

Prepare decoction by boiling 20 g five parts of Ayapanai plant viz. leaves, roots, flowers, fruits and stem in 400 ml water till it reduces to one-fourth quantity. Drink 5-10 ml of this twice a day.

Wound, insect bite, bleeding

Apply paste of clean fresh leaves.

In the case of deep wound, apply the leaves paste topically and drink 5-10 ml Ayapanai leaves juice 3-4 times a day.

Internal haemorrhages, snake bite and vomiting

Drink 5-10 ml Ayapanai leaves juice 3-4 times a day.

Gingivitis, mouth ulcers

Swish the leaves juice in the mouth.

Warning/ Caution

• Contains natural coumarins (ayapanin and ayapin) which has blood-thinning or anticoagulant actions.
• Ayapana may interact with blood-thinning drugs.
• Ayapana is tonic and stimulant in small doses. Stimulants increases alertness, attention, energy, as well as elevate blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration.
• In large doses it is a laxative and causes loose motion and vomiting.

The aqueous extract of dried Ayapana leaves and shoots is cardiac stimulant which increases the force of the heartbeat but diminishes its frequency.