Literature Section
Farmers told that....
It
prefers a sunny situation. The seeds are sown during May-June. The seedlings
are transplanted at a distance of 60 cm x 30 cm. Two or three irrigations may be
given during the day periods. It flowers during August - November, and the
whole plant starts maturing during February - March when it is harvested for
the drug; in Andhra Pradesh, (India)
it is collected during November - January. The whole plant is dried in shade
and sold. The crude drug consists of dried or fresh leaves or the aerial
portions of the plant. Sometimes, the whole plant, including the roots, is
used. The drug is sometimes mixed with the genuine chirata
(Swertia chirayata
Karst.) but can be distinguished from the latter
easily by the green colour of its stems, numerous
erect, slender, opposite branches and its lanceolate,
green leaves. The drug normally should not contains
more than 2% foreign organic matter.
Cultivation of Andrographis paniculata
Nees
Despite its enormous medicinal and economic
importance, attempts to cultivate A. paniculata have seldom been
undertaken; hence local drug manufacturers as well as drug companies depend on
wild sources for the supply of raw material. Gupta and Srivastava
(1995) have reported a systematic cultivation experiment using different
accessions of A. paniculata at NBPGR,
New Delhi.
Cultivation experiments are also reported by various authors from different
parts of
SE Asia
(Zhou, 1987; Ramesh et al, 1997; Alagesaboopathi and Balu, 1997; Nandi, 1992; Muniramappa et al,
1997).
In general, the plant prefers a sunny
situation. The seeds are sown during May-June. The seedlings are transplanted
at a distance of 60 cm x 30 cm. One to three irrigations may be given during
the day periods (particularly when plants are flowering). It flowers during
August - November, and the whole plant starts maturing during February - March
when it is harvested for the drug; in Andhra Pradesh, it is collected during
November - January. The whole plant is dried in shade and sold. The crude drug
consists of dried or fresh leaves or the aerial portions of the plant.
Sometimes, the whole plant, including the roots, is used. The drug is sometimes
mixed with the genuine chirata (Swertia
chirayata Karst.) but
can be distinguished from the latter easily by the green colour of its stems,
numerous erect, slender, opposite branches and its lanceolate,
green leaves. The drug normally should not contain more than 2% foreign organic
matter.
In
addition to seeds, stem cuttings of the mature (but non-flowered plants) could
also give rise to new plants. Alagesaboopathi and Balu (1997) have described this in detail in their paper.
More over in vitro propagation
techniques were also tried in this species.
View
Andrographis photos 
References
-
Gupta V,
Srivastava VK 1995 Evaluation studies on Kalmegh (Andrographis
paniculata Nees) Ind J Pl Genet Resource: s 8: 141-143
-
Zhou, Z.
1987. Cultivation of Andrographis paniculata. Chung Yao Tung Pao 12: 15-18.
-
Ramesh, P.M.,
A.A. Farooqui, M. Vasundhara and H.R. Gowda. 1997. Influence of nutrients on
the
growth, yield and active principle content in Kalmegh (Andrographis
paniculata Nees). Abstract cum
Souvenir- National Conference on Health Care & Development of Herbal
Medicines. 29-30 August,
1997. Indira Ghandhi Agricultural University, Raipur MP.- 492 001.
-
Alagesaboopathi, C. and S. Balu. 1997. Methods of mass multiplication of
Indian Andrographis Wallich ex Nees and its chemical analysis. Abstract cum
Souvenir- National Conference on Health Care & Development of Herbal
Medicines. 29-30 August, 1997. Indira Ghandhi Agricultural University,
Raipur MP.- 492 001.
-
Nandi, R.P.
1992. Increase in productivity regime of some well known medicinal and
aromatic plants
used in Ayurvedic system of medicines. Advances in Plant Sciences Vol. 5.
Pp. 274-282. Association
of Plant Sciences India.
-
Muniramappa,
R.P, A.A. Farooqi, H.G.R. Gowda and S. Maricapu. 1997. Influence of
macronutrients on yield and active principle content in Kalmegh. J of Med &
Arom Plant Sciences 19: 1039-1042.
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