Laghu Patha / Abuta
Description :
Abuta is a tropical woody, climbing vine (liana) with long leaves, white flowers and inedible dark, grape sized, 3/4″ long, berries.
It is indigenous to the Amazon rainforest but also grows abundantly in India.
It resembles a ruffled ribbon, winding its way up to the top of the tree. The stem is deeply furrowed, grey, and covered with patches of lichen. The odor of the vine is slightly aromatic.
In the Amazon, Abuta is used as an anti-dote for poisonous snakebites; also for Diabetes:, dropsy, gonorrhea, heart problems (irregular heart beat), jaundice, rheumatism, and as an aphrodisiac.
The principal phytochemicals in in this plant are oxo-aporphines, palmatine and isoquinolines. The plant has antispasmodic action.
There are also Ayurvedic applications such as edema, cystitis, kidney inflammation and fever.
Details:
Common Name : abuta, barbasco, false pareira brava, false pareira root, ice vine, midwife’s herb, pereira root, velvet leaf
Botonical name: Cissampelos pareira
Assamese Name : tubukilota
Bengali Name : kijri
Chinese Name : xí shēng téng
Gujarati Name : venivel
Hindi Name : bhatvel, padh
Kannada Name : parera beru
Khasi Name : jyrmi salla
Konkani Name : pahadvel
Malayalam Name : malathaanti,paataththaali
Marathi Name : dhakati pahadvel,pahadvel,pahadmul
Nepalese Name : barel-panrhe, sulara
Oriya Name : ghodakur
Sanskrit Name : laghu patha
Tagalog Name : sansau
Tamil Name : vatta-t-tiruppi
Telugu Name : pata visah boddi
Tibetan Name : pa-tha
Parts Used: whole vine, seed, bark, leaf, root
Medicinal Uses :
- Velvet Leaf is known as Midwife’s herb as mainly used in women aliments. It is used for menstrual problems, hormonal imbalance, ease childbirth, postpartum pain, prevent threatened miscarriage, and control uterine hemorrhages, hormonal acne and premenstrual syndrome.
- It is used for heart problems, kidney stones, kidney infections and pains, asthma, arthritis, muscle cramps and stomach pains.
- Abuta also acts as an antiseptic to the bladder and is therefore employed for the relief of chronic inflammation of the urinary passages. It is also a good diuretic.
- This plant has a relaxing effect on smooth muscles (such as those in the walls of blood vessels and in the uterus). Therefore using it may lower blood pressure or may cause muscle contraction in the uterus.