Picrorhiza grass
Picrorhiza kurrooa, one of the important plant species among the various medicinal plants, is endemic to Himalaya. Is one of the major income generating non-timber forest products. It is one of the oldest medicinal plants traded from the Karnali zone.
Latin name: Picrorhiza kurroa
Tibet name: Honglen
Parts used: Root or entire plant
Found in Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal and India from 3200 to 5000 meters altitude.
Antipyretic activity
Anti-allergic activity – inhibits passive cutaneous anaphylaxis; inhibits mast cell degranulation; inhibits histamine release; reduces bronchial obstruction; shows to have anti-asthmatic activity; shows clinical improvement in bronchial asthma, reduction in use of bronchodilators and improvement in pulmonary function tests; reduces asthma attacks or chest symptoms, inhibits bronchoconstriction.
Anti-inflammatory activity – inhibits release of pro-inflammatory cytokines; exhibits reduction of inflammation in ulcerative colitis; shows to have protective effect in acute pancreatitis and reduces airway inflammation; increases survival rate and reduces the degree of lung injury; exhibits a protective effect against sepsis.
Immunomodulatory effect
Antiviral activity – against viral hepatitis.
Anti-vitiligo effect
Anti-diabetic activity – reduces hyperglycaemia; reduces serum peroxide levels and blood urea nitrogen concentration; improves blood glucose and insulin levels; prevents development of diabetic nephropathy.
Anti-hyperlipidemic activity – reduces plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL, secondary to aiding the liver.
Anti-hepatotoxic activity – restores altered liver parameters; increases liver glycogen; reduces lipid peroxidation; shows strong protective effect against various toxic effects on liver; protects liver when ingested prior to or taken after exposure to toxins; reduces bilirubin in acute viral hepatitis; reduces circulating liver enzymes in acute viral hepatitis; shows to significantly reduce liver fat in steatohepatitis; demonstrates reversal of hepatic lesions, lipid and enzyme changes; shows to regress features of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, such as lipid content of liver tissue and reduction of cholestasis.
Choleretic activity – increases bile secretion; prevents cholestasis.
Diuretic activity – increases amount of urine production.
Nephroprotective effect– improves renal functions and inhibits oxidative stress.
Anti-ulcer activity – shows to be able to effectively heal stomach ulceration by reducing oxidative stress, promoting mucin secretion, stimulating cellular growth and repair, regulating of pH at gastric surface, inhibiting gastric secretion, promoting endothelial proliferation and migration, promoting connective tissue and microvessels (angiogenesis) restoration in injured mucosa
Antioxidant activity – exhibits very strong antioxidant activity; reduces production of oxygen free radicals and repairs the cell membrane damage; have free radical scavenging property; exhibits radioprotective effect.
Neuroprotective effect – due to its antioxidant activity; shows to decrease cerebral infarction volume and apoptotic cells, protects the structure of mitochondria
Rejuvenation action:
Balances Phlegm, blood and Bile disorders
Balances blood sugar level
Treat anaemia
Tonifies liver
Gastrointestinal system:
Relieves indigestion
Relieves spasms and abdominal pain
Clears parasites
Relieves haemorrhoid
Treats gastroenteritis
Stops diarrhoea
Promotes bile secretion
Genitourinary system:
Promotes regular menstrual flow
Immune system and detoxification:
Relieves shortness of breath and asthma
Relieves chest pain and headache
Purifies blood
Lowers fever
Clears pathogenic microbes
Treats inflammatory conditions in body organs
Treats nerve inflammations
Relieves numbness
Atvieglo locītavu sāpes
Relieves inflammatory skin diseases
Clears toxins and poisons
- WHO monograph on Gummi Myrrha
- Commiphora molmol Modulates Glutamate-Nitric Oxide-cGMP and Nrf2/ARE/HO-1 Pathways and Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Hematological Alterations in Hyperammonemic Rats
- WHO monograph on Rhizoma Picrorhizae
- Picrorhiza kurroa – This page features 56 unique references to scientific papers.
- Picroside II Shows Protective Functions for Severe Acute Pancreatitis in Rats by Preventing NF-κB-Dependent Autophagy
- Picroside II protects against sepsis via suppressing inflammation in mice
- A study of standardized extracts of Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth in experimental nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
- Healing Potential of Picrorhiza kurroa (Scrofulariaceae) rhizomes against indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration: a mechanistic exploration.