Talk:Vacha: Difference between revisions

'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorus_calamus Acorus calamus L.]''', popularly known as '''Vacha''', is a semi-aquatic perennial herbaceous plant native to temperate and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. It is widely revered in [[Ayurveda]] as a powerful medhya (nootropic) and nervine tonic, highly valued for improving intellect, memory, speech, and managing cognitive or neurological disorders. Its rhizome has been used in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Chinese medicine for nervous disorders, colic, cough, fever, inflammation and digestive complaints, and modern studies have examined several of these uses.<ref name="Rajput2014">Rajput SB, Tonge MB, Karuppayil SM. An overview on traditional uses and pharmacological profile of Acorus calamus Linn. (Sweet flag) and other Acorus species. Phytomedicine. 2014;21(3):268–276. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2013.09.020. PMID: 24200497</ref>

== Phytoconstituents ==

=== Major classes of compounds ===

A comprehensive review reports that about 145 constituents have been isolated and identified from the plant. They belong mainly to the phenylpropanoids (including α-asarone and β-asarone), sesquiterpenoids and monoterpenes, with triterpenoid saponins and other compounds also described.<ref name="Sharma2020">Sharma V, Sharma R, Gautam DS, Kuča K, Nepovimová E, Martins N. Role of Vacha (Acorus calamus Linn.) in neurological and metabolic disorders: evidence from ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology and clinical study. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2020;9(4):1176. doi:10.3390/jcm9041176</ref>

=== Essential oil of the rhizome ===

GC/MS analysis of the rhizome essential oil showed β-asarone (79.54%) and α-asarone (8.47%) as the major constituents. The asarone content varies between plant chemotypes, so these figures apply only to the sample studied.<ref name="Mukherjee2007">Mukherjee PK, Kumar V, Mal M, Houghton PJ. In vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of the essential oil from Acorus calamus and its main constituents. Planta Medica. 2007;73(3):283–285. doi:10.1055/s-2007-967114. PMID: 17286241</ref>

== Therapeutic Efficacy: Pharmacological Evidence ==

The evidence summarised below comes from animal and in vitro studies. No controlled human clinical trial of ''Acorus calamus'' was verified during the preparation of this monograph.

=== Nootropic activity (Medhya, Smrti daurbalya) ===

In an in vitro Ellman assay, the hydroalcoholic extract, the essential oil and the main constituents of the rhizome inhibited acetylcholinesterase. β-Asarone, the major constituent of the oil, showed the strongest inhibition. This offers a biochemical basis for the traditional use of Vacha to improve memory, although enzyme inhibition in vitro does not by itself prove a memory-enhancing effect in humans.<ref name="Mukherjee2007"/>

=== Neuroprotective activity ===

Acorus calamus extract was reported to have a neuroprotective effect against middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced ischaemia in rats.<ref name="Shukla2006">Shukla PK, Khanna VK, Ali MM, Maurya R, Khan MY, Srimal RC. Neuroprotective effect of Acorus calamus against middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced ischaemia in rat. Human & Experimental Toxicology. 2006;25(4):187–194. doi:10.1191/0960327106ht613oa</ref>

|+ Therapeutic Applications of ''Acorus calamus'' (preclinical evidence)

! Indication !! Experimental finding !! Type of evidence

| '''Epilepsy (Apasmara)''' || Inhibition of ferric chloride-induced epileptogenesis || Rat model

| '''Pain, inflammation and fever''' || Dose-dependent anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effects || Rat models

| '''Colic, abdominal distress''' || Antiulcer, antisecretory and cytoprotective effects || Rat model

<ref name="Rajput2014">Rajput SB, Tonge MB, Karuppayil SM. An overview on traditional uses and pharmacological profile of Acorus calamus Linn. (Sweet flag) and other Acorus species. Phytomedicine. 2014;21(3):268–276. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2013.09.020. PMID: 24200497</ref>

<ref name="Sharma2020">Sharma V, Sharma R, Gautam DS, Kuča K, Nepovimová E, Martins N. Role of Vacha (Acorus calamus Linn.) in neurological and metabolic disorders: evidence from ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology and clinical study. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2020;9(4):1176. doi:10.3390/jcm9041176</ref>

<ref name="Mukherjee2007">Mukherjee PK, Kumar V, Mal M, Houghton PJ. In vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of the essential oil from Acorus calamus and its main constituents. Planta Medica. 2007;73(3):283–285. doi:10.1055/s-2007-967114. PMID: 17286241</ref>

<ref name="Shukla2006">Shukla PK, Khanna VK, Ali MM, Maurya R, Khan MY, Srimal RC. Neuroprotective effect of Acorus calamus against middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced ischaemia in rat. Human & Experimental Toxicology. 2006;25(4):187–194. doi:10.1191/0960327106ht613oa</ref>

<ref name="Vohora1990">Vohora SB, Shah SA, Dandiya PC. Central nervous system studies on an ethanol extract of Acorus calamus rhizomes. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 1990;28(1):53–62. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(90)90065-2</ref>

<ref name="Hazra2007">Hazra R, Ray K, Guha D. Inhibitory role of Acorus calamus in ferric chloride-induced epileptogenesis in rat. Human & Experimental Toxicology. 2007;26(12):947–953.</ref>

<ref name="Bari2024">Bari MU, et al. Anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive, and anti-pyretic activities of Acorus calamus rhizome extracts in animal models. Pakistan Journal of Zoology. 2024. doi:10.17582/journal.pjz/20240506024014</ref>

<ref name="Rafatullah1994">Rafatullah S, Tariq M, Mossa JS, Al-Yahya MA, Al-Said MS, Ageel AM. Antisecretagogue, anti-ulcer and cytoprotective properties of Acorus calamus in rats. Fitoterapia. 1994;65(1):19–23.</ref>

<ref name="EMA2005">European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Public statement on the use of herbal medicinal products containing asarone. EMEA/HMPC/139215/2005. 2005.</ref>