Eclipta prostrata

Scientific name: Eclipta prostrata (L.) L.

Synonym: Eclipta adpressa Moench

Synonym 2: Eclipta erecta L.

Botanical family: ASTERACEAE

Geographical distribution

Apparently native to the New World, it is now widely distributed in farmland in both hemispheres.

Botanical description

Erect or prostrate, annual or short-lived herb. Opposite leaves, simple, almost 7 cm long elliptic to lanceolate, mucronate at the apex. Terminal, sometimes axillary inflorescences; small heads, 3-9 mm across, radiated, 8-9 involucral bracts, imbricated; white flowers. Dorsiventrally compressed and precisely angled achene, slightly winged.

Voucher(s)

FLORPAN,1932,PMA

The aerial parts of Eclipta prostrata are a food for human consumption in China¹¹.

For colds:
prepare a decoction or infusion with 30 grams of stems with leaves in 4 cups (1 litre) of water. For decoctions, boil for 10 minutes in a covered vessel. For the infusion, add the boiling water to the 30 grams of stems with leaves and cover. Leave to settle, cool, strain (filter) and drink 3 cups a day.

Preparations must never be stored for more than 24 hours, even if refrigerated.

According to the information available:

The use for colds is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys and the scientific information published.

If deterioration is observed in the patient or if the cold persists for more than 7 days, seek medical attention.

Not for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in children under 12 years.

The ethanolic extract (95%) from dried aerial parts (2 g/kg), orally and intraperitoneally in mice, did not demonstrate a general toxic effect^16-17 or hepatotoxic activity (0.2 mg/day/90 days)¹⁸.

The dried aerial parts (500 mg/kg)¹⁹, the hydroalcoholic extract (50%)²⁰ orally in male rats and the ethanolic extract (95%, 62.5 and 175.9 mg/kg) orally in mice16 showed antihepatotoxic activity.

The whole dried plant (50 mg/kg²¹ and 500 mg/person)²² administered orally showed antihepatotoxic activity in adults.

The hydroalcoholic extract (50%) of the whole plant, intraperitoneally in mice, showed a maximum tolerated toxic dose of 1 g/kg¹⁷.

The hydroalcoholic extract (50%) from dried aerial parts (100 mg/kg) orally in female rats did not show any anti-implantation or embryotoxic effects²³.

No data are available to recommend their medicinal use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in children.

The leaf contains coumarins: wedelolactone², demethylwedelolactone and derivatives³.

The aerial part has been widely studied and contains, among other components, triterpenes: β-amyrin, triterpenic acid glycoside⁴, flavonoids: apigenin⁵, cynaroside⁴; sulfur compounds: dithienyl-(2,2’)-5-hydroxymethyl-5’-(but-3-en-1-inyl) of angelic, butyric, senecic acid and tiglic acids and derivatives^6-10.

The dry aerial parts contain: wedelolactone, eclalbasaponin, luteolin and luteolin-7-O-glucoside¹¹.

The whole plant contains alkaloids: nicotine¹²; steroids: stigmasterol¹³.

The decoction of whole dried plant (500 mg/kg), orally in male mice, showed antipyretic activity¹⁴.

The extracts from the entire plant and its isolated compounds, in vitro, models of anti-inflammatory activity against the release of: lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in RAW264.7 cells, as well as the anti-inflammatory
mechanism of active compounds on RNAm expression, showed high inhibition of NO and PGE2 release, but were inactive against TNF-α. The compound orobol inhibited the expression of COX-2 mRNA¹⁵.

There is no scientific literature available to validate the use of the stem with leaves in decoction or infusion taken orally for colds.

Pharmacopoeia

Ed.3

References

1 SOLIS P, CORREA M, GUPTA M, 1995
Encuesta TRAMIL (Comunidades afro-caribeñas). Centro de Investigaciones Farmacognósticas de la Flora Panameña CIFLORPAN, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Panamá, Panamá, Panamá.
2 GOVINDACHARI TR, NAGARAJAN K, PAI BR, 1956
Wedelolactone from Eclipta alba. J Sci Ind Res-B 15:664-665.
3 BHARGAVA K, KRISHNASWAMY N, SESHADRI T, 1970
Isolation of demethyl wedelolactone and its glucoside from Eclipta alba. Indian J Chem 8(7):664-665.
4 SARG T, ABDEL SALAM N, EL-DOMIATY M, KHAFAGY S, 1981
The steroid, triterpenoid and flavonoid constituents of Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk. (Compositae) grown in Egypt. Sci Pharm 49:262-264.
5 WAGNER H, GEYER B, KISO Y, HIKINO H, RAO GS, 1986
Coumestans as the main active principles of the liver drugs Eclipta alba and Wedelia calendulacea-1. Planta Med 5:370-374.
6 BOHLMANN F, ZDERO C, 1970
Polyacetylene compounds. Part 173. Constituents of Eclipta erecta. Chem Ber 103:834-841.
7 SINGH P, 1988
Naturally-occuring thiophene derivatives from Eclipta species. Bioact Mol 7:179-186.
8 SINGH P, SHARMA A, JOSHI K, BOHLMANN F, 1985
A further dithienylacetylene from Eclipta erecta. Phytochemistry 24(3):615-616.
9 KRISHNASWAMY N, SESHADRI T, SHARMA B, 1966
Synthesis of alpha-terthienylmethanol, a component of Eclipta alba. Curr Sci 35(21):542.
10 JAIN S, SINGH P, 1988
A dithienylacetylene ester from Eclipta erecta Linn. Indian J Chem Ser B 27(1):99-100.
11 LIU QM, ZHAO HY, ZHONG XK, JIANG JG, 2012
Eclipta prostrata L. phytochemicals: isolation, structure elucidation, and their antitumor activity. Food Chem Toxicol 50(11):4016-4022.
12 PAL S, NARASIMHAM N, 1943
The alkaloid in Eclipta alba (Hassk). J Indian Chem Soc 20:181-186.
13 ZOU J, UCHIYAMA M, 1993
Chemical constituents of yerbadetajo (Eclipta prostrata). Chung Ts’ao Yao 24(4):174-176.
14 DEBELMAS A, HACHE J, 1976
Toxicity of several medicinal plants of Nepal including some behavioral and central nervous system effects. Plant Med Phytother 10:128-138.
15 TEWTRAKUL S, SUBHADHIRASAKUL S, TANSAKUL P, CHEENPRACHA S, KARALAI C, 2011
Antiinflammatory constituents from Eclipta prostrata using RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Phytother Res: 10.1002/ptr.3383.
16 SINGH B, SAXENA K, CHANDAN B, AGARWAL S, BHATIA M, ANAND K, 1993
Hepatoprotective effect of ethanolic extract of Eclipta alba on experimental liver damage in rats and mice. Phytother Res 7(2):154-158.
17 DHAR ML, DHAR MM, DHAWAN BN, MEHROTRA BN, RAY C, 1968
Screening of Indian plants for biological activity: part I. Indian J Exp Biol 6:232-247.
18 JAYARAM S, THYAGARAJAN S, PANCHANADAM M, SUBRAMANIAN S, 1987
Anti-hepatitis-B virus properties of Phyllanthus niruri Linn. and Eclipta alba Hassk: in vitro and in vivo safety studies. Bio-Medicine 7(2):9-16.
19 CHANDRA T, SADIQUE J, SOMASUNDRARAM S, 1987
Effect of Eclipta alba on inflammation and liver injury. Fitoterapia 58(1):23-32.
20 SAXENA A, SINGH B, ANAND K, 1993
Hepatoprotective effects of Eclipta alba on subcellular levels in rats. J Ethnopharmacol 40(3):155-161.
21 DIXIT S, ACHAR M, 1981
Study of bhringaraja (Eclipta alba) therapy in jaundice in children. J Sci Res Pl Med 2:96-100.
22 ANON 1982
A trial of bhringaraja ghanasatwavati on the patients of Kostha-shakhasrita Kamala (with special reference to hepatocellular jaundice).J Natl Integ Med Assoc 24(9):265-269.
23 PRAKASH A, PASALU IC, MATHUR KC, 1979
Ovicidal activity of Eclipta alba Hassk. (Compositae). Curr Sci 48:1090.

Disclaimer

The information provided is for educational purposes only for the benefit of the general public and health professionals. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. Since some parts of plants could be toxic, might induce side effects, or might have interactions with certain drugs, anyone intending to use them or their products must first consult with a physician or another qualified health care professional. TRAMIL has no responsibility whatsoever towards the user for any decision, action or omission made in relation to the information contained in this Pharmacopoeia.

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