Medicinal uses of Mimosa Pudica or Sensitive plant

Mimosa pudica (from Latin Pudica meaning shy, shrinking) is also known as Sensitive Plant and touch- me-not. It is a perennial short prickly herb with sensitive leaves which fold and drop on touching. This plant is native to tropical America and Australia. Mimosa belongs to the taxonomic group Magnoliopsida and family Mimosaseae.

This plant is useful in the treatment of various diseases. Its root is bitter, acrid, cooling, heals wounds, anti-venom and used in the treatment of excessive bile secretion, leprosy, dysentery, vaginal and uterine complaints, inflammations, burning sensation, fatigue, asthma, leucoderma, skin diseases, etc. This medicinal herb is useful when diseases in the body is due to aggravation of Pitta, and Kapha dosh.

Sensitive pant/touch-me-not or Chui mui is semi-erect subshrub native to tropical America and Australia. It is also found in India and known as Laajwanti becuase of its leaves sensitivity for touch. It leaves fold and drop on touching. It is a medicinal herb with antibacterial, anti-venom, antifertility, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, aphrodisiac, and various other pharmacological activities.  Mimosa propagates through seeds. All five parts of Mimosa plant (Panchang – leaves, flowers, stems, roots, and fruits) are used for medicinal purpose.

Botanical details

Plant Morphology

• Stem: Rachis are clothed with prickles.
• Flowers: globose, pink heads. Pollinated by winds and insects.
• Pods: Small, flat, straw color with many bristles.
• Seeds:  3-5
• Fruits: Cluster of 2-8 pods with prickly margins
• Root: Cylindrical, tapering, with secondary and tertiary branches, varying in length up to 2-cm thick, surface more or less rough or longitudinally wrinkled; greyish-brown to brown, cut surface of pieces pale yellow, fracture hard, woody, bark-fibrous; odour, distinct; taste, slightly astringent.
• Leaf: compound leaves with one or two pairs of sessile, hairy pinnae, alternate, petiole, stipulate, linear lanceolate; leaflets 10–20 pairs, 0.6–1.2-cm long, 0.3–0.4-cm broad, sessile, obliquely narrow or linear oblong; obliquely rounded at base, acute, nearly glabrous, yellowish green.

Pharmacological Activities

• Diuretic activities
  Its leaves decoction promotes urine production with excretion of sodium and potassium ion, but without affecting potassium excretion.
• Lowers abnormal uterine bleeding
  The decoction of roots is useful in the management of abnormal uterine bleeding.
• Anti-fertility effect
  The oral intake of roots causes decreases in fertility. The lab test on mice, shows altered estrous cycle and increased number of degenerated ovum.
• Antivenom activity
  The aqueous extract of roots shows activity against snake venom.
• Hyperglycemic effect
  Its leaves causes increase in blood sugar in the body.
• Antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral activity
  The various parts of Mimosa plant show antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral activity.
• Wound healing activity
  The roots have wound healing activities and can be used for faster healing of cuts and wounds.

Medicinal Uses of Chhuimui

Mimosa is useful in treating various ailments. It can be applied externally on boils, ulcers, wounds, fungus, cuts and piles. In Ayurveda, its use is mentioned for the skin and vaginal diseases, swelling, burning sensation, diarrhea, etc.

This plant is effective in treating bleeding disorders like menorrhagia, excessive uterine bleeding, and dysentery with blood, mucus and piles.

Here are few remedies that can be done at home to cure various ailments

• This herb is very useful in curing heavy, abnormal uterine bleeding and skin diseases.
• Bronchial asthma
  Prepare juice of the plant Panchang and take in a dose of 10-30 ml.
• Diabetes
  Dry roots and leaves of the plant. Pulverise and prepare powder. Take ths powder in a dose of 2-5 grams.
• Diarrhoea (athisaar), amoebic dysentery (raktaatisar)
  Dry its roots and pulverise to prepare powder. Take this powder (3 gm) with curd. Or Prepare decoction by boiling 5 gm root powder, in water (400 ml) till volume reduces to 100 ml. Filter and drink twice a day
• Gandamala, glandular swellings
  Extract fresh leaves juice of Mimosa pudica and take 20-40 ml once a day for a few weeks.
• Heavy menstrual bleeding
  Take fresh roots juice 5 ml, with honey and black pepper (Piper nigrum) every 2 hours, during the menstrual period.
• Indigestion
  Drink fresh leaves juice in a dose of 30 ml
• Jaundice
  Take its fresh leaves juice (20-40 ml), twice a day for three weeks.
• Piles, improving sexual potency in men
  Prepare powder of its leaves. Take this powder in a dose of 1 teaspoon with milk, twice a day.
• Stomach ache, intestinal worms
  Take its leaves paste once a day, with honey, empty stomach for 3-4 days.
• Stones, Diabetes, Snake bite
  Prepare decoction of its roots (10 gm) in 400 ml water and drink twice a day.
• Gum problems, toothaches
  Prepare root decoction and use frequently for gargling.
• Glandular swellings, hydrocele
  Externally apply leaves juice on the affected areas.
• Wounds, itching
  Apply root paste on the affected area with the help of cloth.
• Sagging breasts
  Prepare a paste of Mimosa pudica and Ashwagandha roots. Apply this paste on breasts.
• Abscess, boils for pus release and quick healing, fistulous sores
  Apply leaves paste at affected area.