Brahmee

Sanskrit Name: ब्राह्मी

Family name: Scrophularaceae

निरुक्ति : ब्रह्मणः इयं ब्राह्मी । ब्राह्मोऽजातौ । (भा.दी.)

Bramhi (Bp. Ni.): It is related to Brahma i.e. intelligence, so enhances intelligence.

Latin name: Bacopa monnieri (Linn.) Pennell.

(Herpestis monniera (Linn.) H. B. and K.)

Gana/ Varga:          

Charaka	Balya, Prajasthapana (Aindri)
Bhavaprakasha Nighantu	Guduchyadi Varga shloka 235-237
D.G. II P.V.	Medhya page 6-8
Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India Part I	Vol II

Synonyms:

Based on Swaroopa
तोयवल्ली	तोये जलप्रधानस्थाने वल्ली लता सन्ततिर्यस्याः । (नि.आ.)
Toyavalli	It is a prostrate and it creeps in and around water source.
तिक्तलोणिका	तिक्ता सति लोणिका ।
Tiktalonika	It is a bitter type of Lonika(plant).
मत्स्याक्षी	मत्स्याक्षीव पुष्पमस्याः । (भा.दी.)
Matsyakshi	The shape of flower is similar to eyes of fish.
Based on Karma
वयस्था	वयसि तिष्ठत्यनया । (भा.दी.)
Vayastha	It prevents early aging.
सोमवल्ली	सोमस्य वल्लीव । (भा.दी.)
Somavalli (Bp. Ni.)	This plant is filled with Soma(nector).
Saraswati (Bp. Ni.)	It enhances Intelligence.

Kapotavanka (Bp. Ni.)

 

Vernacular names:

             

Hindi	Barami
Assami	Bhrahmi
Kannada	Neeru brahmee
Bengali	Birami
Marathi	Bramhi
Gujarati	Neerabrahmi
Telagu	Sambranichettu
Punjabi	Bhrahmibuti
Tamil	Nirpirami
Malayalam	Brahmi, Nirbrahmi
English	Thyme leaved gratiola, Indian Pennywort

Morphology:

Habit : Prostrate or creeping, juicy, succulent, glabrous annual herb rooting at the nodes with numerous ascending branches; Leaves  : simple, opposite, decussate, sessile, obovate-oblong or spathulate, entire, fleshy, obscurely veined, punctate; Flowers pale blue or whitish, axillary, solitary, on long slender pedicels; Fruits ovoid, acute, 2-celled, 2 valved capsules, tipped with style base; Seeds minute, numerous.

Distribution: Through out India, in wet places upto 1,200 m elevation.

Types: NA

Guna-Karma:      

Guna	Sara, Laghu
Rasa	Tikta, Kashaya, Madhura
Vipaka	Madhura (P.V.- Katu)
Virya	Shita (P.V.- Ushna)
Prabhava	Medhya
Karma
Doshaghnata	Kapha-Pittahara Kapha hara: Pertaining to Tikta, Kshya rasa Pitta hara: Pertaining to Tikta Kashya, Madhura rasa and Shita virya
Agrya karma	Apasmarahara(Vagbhata)
Anyakarma	Medhya, Ayushya, Rasayana, Swarya, Smritiprada, Prajasthapana

Prayoga: Unmada, Apasmara, Kushtha, Pandu, Meha, Raktaroga, Kasa, Visha, Shotha, Jwara.

Prayojya Anga: Panchanga (Whole plant)

Chemical composition: The herb contains the alkaloids brah-  mine,herpestine(c34H46N2 O6)and a mixture of three bases.

The herb also contains the sapo-nins, mon- nierin (C51H82O21.3H2O); hersaponin . And bacoside A [C41H68 O 13.4 H2O] and baco- side B [C41H68 O 13.5 H2O] other constituents present in the plant are D- mannitol,betulic acid,β—sitosterol ,stigmasterol and itsesters,heptacosane, octacosane,nonacosane , triacontane, hentriacontane, dotriacontane,nicotine, 3-formyl-4-hydroxy -2H-pyran (C6H6O3), luteolin, and its 7-glucoside. α-alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid and serine.

Sangraha Kala: Not specific.

Amayika prayoga:

Bahya: -

Abhyantara:

1.  Manovaha srotas: Tikta rasa and Shita virya enhance Dharanatwa(retention property) of Buddhi so memory will be boosted.

Unmada : Brahmi Swarasa and Kushta should be given with Madhu.

Apasmara : Purana Ghrita  processed with Brahmi swarasa, Vacha, Kustha and Shankhapuspi relieves insanity, epilepsy and sinful condition (CS.ci10.25)

Apasmara : Panchagavya ghrita should be given mixed with Brahmi swarasa .(CS.ci 10/62)

 Children: Brahmi swarasa should be taken with Madhu and Ghrita for promoting intellect (KS P.5)

2.  Raktavaha srotas:

Masurika : Brahmi Swarasa  should be given with Madhu.

 

Matra: 

Churna	4-8 Ratti
Swarasa	½ Tola.

 

Vishishta Yoga: Saraswatarishta, Brahmi ghruta, Smrutisagara rasa;

Research:

1.  Anticonvulsive: In various scientific studies, it was reported that crude water extract of B. Monnieri controls  epilepsy.  The  plant  extract  produces  a  sedative.  Those  substances  which stimulates  neurotransmitter  GABA  are  known  to  possess  anticonvulsant,  pain relieving and sedative effects.( https://ijapr.in/index.php/ijapr/article/view/1917/1360)

2.  Bacopa monneri is mainly known as a brain stabilizing agent. Methanolic extract of this plant possesses anti depressant properties. .( https://ijapr.in/index.php/ijapr/article/view/1917/1360)

3.   Neuroprotective activity: Anbarasi et al. assessed the neuroprotective role of bacoside A against OS in the brains of rats exposed to cigarette smoke by measuring concentrations of enzymatic and non-enzymatic anti-oxidants as well as trace elements. The researchers administered 10 mg/kg aqueous bacoside A gavage daily and found that BM significantly increased brain levels of glutathione, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin A in rats exposed to cigarette smoke (perhaps an anti-oxidant conservation effect). Bacoside A administration increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, GPx, and GSR. As a result, the levels of glutathione (primary endogenous anti-oxidant conjugate) in the brain were significantly increased as well. The researchers found that cigarette smoke depletes zinc and selenium levels in the brain, which is especially problematic because zinc is a SOD co-factor and selenium is a GPx co-factor. Administration of bacoside A also restored zinc and selenium levels.( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746283/)

4.  Memory improvement:  Bacopa moneri (50 mg/kg per day oral) supplementation reversed memory impairment in colchicine-treated (15 μg in 5 μL artificial cerebrospinal fluid, intracerebroventricularly infused) rat model of Alzheimer disease.( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746283/)

Others : P.V.Sharma has not differentiated Brahmi and Mandukaparni. For the dravyas he has considered C. asiatica as the drug source. And he considered B. monnieri (Linn.) Pennell as Aindri.  So he has mentioned the Vipaka of this drug as Katu and its Viry as Ushna. Added its Swedajanana property. All other indications mentioned are similar. (D.G. P.V. Part II)   

Important references: