Talk:Shankhapushpi

Evolvulus alsinoides L. or Convolvulus pluricaulis

Shankhapushpi

Section/Chapter	Herb database/Shankhapushpi
Botanical name(s)	Evolvulus alsinoides L.
Family	Convolvulaceae
Availability	Available
Contributors	Team Dravyaguna
Year of publication	2026
Publisher	Charak Samhita Research, Training and Skill Development Centre
DOI	Awaited

Evolvulus alsinoides (L.) L., commonly known as Dwarf Morning Glory, is a prominent perennial herb revered across traditional Asian medicine systems—particularly Ayurveda and Unani—for its neuroprotective and cognitive-enhancing capabilities.Singh, A. (2021). A systematic review of the phytochemical profile and medicinal significance of Evolvulus alsinoides. Journal of Medicinal Plants and Studies, 9(3), 45-52.

Within Ayurvedic pharmacology, the vernacular name Shankhapushpi is applied to a select group of plants recognized as premier Medhya Rasayanas (intellect-rejuvenating tonics). While Convolvulus pluricaulis Choisy is widely used under this moniker, Evolvulus alsinoides serves as its primary counterpart or preferred substitute in many geographical regions, exhibiting an overlapping and often superior pharmacological profile in preclinical evaluations.

Botanical Classification

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Division: Angiosperms
• Class: Eudicots
• Order: Solanales
• Family: Convolvulaceae
• Genus: Evolvulus
• Species: E. alsinoides (L.) L.

Morphological Synopsis

E. alsinoides is a small, prostrate, diffuse herb featuring a woody, branched rootstock and slender, wiry branches clothed in dense, silky, patent hairs. The leaves are small, elliptic to oblong, and strongly apiculate. The flowers are solitary, axillary, and display a distinctive bright blue to light blue funnel-shaped corolla. It thrives primarily in the open, tropical, and subtropical grasslands, rocky terrains, and waste areas of India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Africa.

English name

Speed Wheel,dwarf morning glory, slender dwarf morning glory

Therapeutic Uses

Psychological disorders (Manasroga), Epilepsy (Apasmara)

Other Varieties/ Other botanical names

• Convolvulus austroaegyptiacus Abdallah & Sa'ad
• Convolvulus cancerianus Abdallah & Sa'ad
• Convolvulus deserti Hochst. & Steud. ex Baker & Rendle
• Convolvulus evolvuloides Boiss.
• Convolvulus heterotrichus Maire
• Convolvulus microphyllus Sieber ex Spreng.
• Convolvulus parvifolius Spreng.
• Convolvulus pluricaulis Choisy
• Convolvulus scindicus Boiss.
• Evolvulus pilosus Roxb.

Synonyms in Charak Samhita

Shankhapushpi, Keshi

Synonyms in Bhavaprakasha Nighantu

Shankhpushpi, Shankhahva, Mangalyakusuma, Vishnukranta

Ayurvedic pharmacological properties

Properties

Sr.no.	Pharmacological criteria	Properties
1	Taste (rasa)	Astringent (kashaya), Pungent (katu), Bitter (tikta)
2	Potency (veerya)	Cold (sheeta)
3	Post digestion effect (vipaka)	Sweet (madhura)
4	Qualities (guna)	Unctuous (snigdha), Slimy (pichchila), Heavy (guru)
5	Actions (karma)	Pacify Vata and Pitta
6	Extra ordinary effect (prabhava)	Brain tonic (medhya)

Reference in Charak Samhita and its actions

Herbs and their activities

Sr.no.	Reference in Charak Samhita	Activity
1	Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 1/1/58	In formulation of dwitiya brahma rasayana
2	Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 1/3/30	Ekala rasayan dravya
3	Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 9/45	Ingredient in Mahapaishachika Ghrita
4	Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 10/25	Ingredient in Brahmi Ghrita
5	Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 10/62	In treatment of Atattvabhinivesha
6	Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 29/62	As an ingredient of Jeevaniya Ghrita

Important Formulations

As per A.P.I.

• Brahmi Ghtita
• Agastya Haritaki
• Brahma Rasayana
• Manasamitra Vataka
• Gorochanadi Vati
• Brahmi Vati

Current availability

Available

• In India –

Rajastha, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Odisha

• Out of India –

Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh

Phytochemical Landscape

The multi-targeted therapeutic efficacy of E. alsinoides is attributed to its complex matrix of secondary metabolites.Kumar, S. (2013). Secondary metabolite credentials of Evolvulus alsinoides by high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 2(1), 112-118. Standardized extractions (specifically using ethanolic and methanolic media) have isolated several key classes of bioactive constituents:

• Alkaloids: Shankhapushpine, evolvine, and betaine. Betaine, in particular, has been correlated with wound-healing and neuro-regulatory functions.
• Coumarins: Significant quantities of scopoletin, scopolin, and umbelliferone, which mediate substantial free-radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Phenolic Glycosides & Flavonoids: Resin glycosides known as Evolvosides (specifically Evolvosides B, C, D, and E) represent major unique drivers of its adaptogenic effects.Siripurapu, K. B., et al. (2005). Adaptogenic and anti-amnesic properties of Evolvulus alsinoides in rodents. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 81(3), 424-432. Additionally, kaempferol and quercetin derivatives are present, reinforcing its systemic antioxidant potential.
• Sterols and Triterpenes: β-sitosterol, squalene, and phytol.

Pharmacological Efficacy and Scientific Evidence

Nootropic and Cognitive Enhancement Actions

The historical assertion that E. alsinoides acts as a premier brain tonic is robustly supported by modern neurobehavioral assays.

• Mechanism & In Vivo Proof: Preclinical research using rodent models has evaluated the anti-amnesic properties of the plant. In studies employing scopolamine-induced amnesia (a standard chemical model for Alzheimer’s-like memory deficit), oral administration of ethanolic extracts of E. alsinoides (100–200 mg/kg p.o.) significantly reversed learning and memory impairments.
• Behavioral Performance: Treated subjects exhibited marked performance retention in step-down avoidance and shuttle-box paradigms. The nootropic activity of the standardized extract was found to be comparable to the benchmark synthetic nootropic drug, piracetam. These effects are postulated to stem from the restoration of central cholinergic activity and down-regulation of acetylcholinesterase activity.

Anxiolytic, Antidepressant, and Adaptogenic (Anti-Stress) Activities

E. alsinoides balances the central nervous system under periods of high psychological or physiological stress.

• Adaptogenic Efficacy: In acute and chronic unpredictable stress paradigms in rats, E. alsinoides extracts (200 mg/kg p.o.) successfully attenuated stress-induced physiological imbalances. It normalized stress-induced hyperglycemia, plasma corticosterone elevations, creatine kinase spikes, and adrenal hypertrophy. The performance was analogous to the benchmark adaptogen Panax ginseng. Isolates such as Evolvosides C–E have been identified as primary drivers of this HPA-axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) stabilization.
• Anxiolytic Activity: In the elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field test (OFT) paradigms, the ethyl acetate fractions of E. alsinoides at 100 mg/kg p.o. induced potent anxiolytic actions.Bhowmik, D., et al. (2009). Anxiolytic activity of Evolvulus alsinoides and Convolvulus pluricaulis in rodents. Pharmaceutical Biology, 47(11), 1092-1097. The subjects showed a highly significant increase in both the time spent and the number of entries into the open arms of the maze, demonstrating a marked reduction in baseline anxiety that points directly toward interaction with central GABAergic neurotransmission pathways.

Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Profile

Neurodegenerative pathobiology is heavily tethered to chronic oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.

• E. alsinoides displays robust free radical scavenging capabilities.Auddy, B., et al. (2003). Screening of antioxidant activity and antioxidant compounds of some edible plants. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 84(1), 131-138. Phenolic and coumarin components (like scopoletin) exhibit significant concentration-dependent inhibition of lipid peroxidation and strong DPPH radical scavenging activity.Ganpat, M., et al. (2007). Evaluation of natural substances from Evolvulus alsinoides L. with the purpose of determining their antioxidant potency. Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry, 22(5), 595-601.
• By scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and upgrading endogenous enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione), the herb shields cortical and hippocampal neurons from cell death, indicating broad-spectrum utility in mitigating progress in conditions like dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

Anticonvulsant Properties

Preclinical testing has validated the use of E. alsinoides in handling convulsive disorders like epilepsy. Whole plant extractions administered at doses between 100 to 400 mg/kg p.o. provided 50% to 100% protection in mice against pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures. The suppression of PTZ-evoked myoclonic jerks and absence seizures implies that the plant compounds directly potentiate or modulate inhibitory GABAergic pathways.

Secondary Peripheral Pharmacological Actions

Beyond the central nervous system, E. alsinoides displays a multi-faceted range of secondary therapeutic profiles:

• Antimicrobial: Crude ethanolic extracts exhibit broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against key human pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Vibrio cholerae. The root extracts consistently exhibit the highest zone of inhibition.
• Hepatoprotective: In in vivo models of paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity, the plant extract normalized elevated serum biochemical markers (alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], and alkaline phosphatase [ALP]), protecting hepatic architecture from lipid peroxidative damage.
• Hypolipidemic: Ethanolic fractions have demonstrated systemic reductions in total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and triglycerides in hyperlipidemic models, emphasizing metabolic advantages.

Safety, Toxicity, and Dosage

Toxicological screenings of E. alsinoides demonstrate an exceptionally high therapeutic index. Acute toxicity protocols evaluating oral doses up to 2000 mg/kg in rodent lines noted no behavioral aberrations, mortality, macro-pathological organ alterations, or hematological toxicity. Chronic and sub-acute ingestion protocols further establish its compatibility for long-term health applications without systemic toxicity.

Suggested Clinical Dosage (Traditional & Formulatory)

• Whole Plant Decoction: 50–100 mL per day.
• Fresh Juice (Swarasa): 10–20 mL per day.
• Standardized Hydro-alcoholic Extract: 250–500 mg twice daily.
• Churna – 3 – 8 gm

Conclusion

Evolvulus alsinoides L. represents a clinically valuable phytotherapeutic agent whose traditional status as a Medhya Rasayana is thoroughly justified by modern scientific scrutiny. Through its dense phytochemical foundation of alkaloids, specialized evolvosides, and antioxidant coumarins, the plant provides verifiable nootropic, adaptogenic, anxiolytic, and neuroprotective relief. While its preclinical profile is exhaustive, further large-scale, double-blind human clinical trials are recommended to definitively optimize its deployment against modern neurodegenerative conditions, anxiety disorders, and chronic stress.