[Latin Name] Andrographis paniculata(Burm.f.)Nees

[Plant Source] Whole herb

[Specification] Andrographolides 10%-98% HPLC

[Appearance] White powder

Plant Part Used: Herb

[Particle size] 80Mesh

[Loss on drying] ≤5.0%

[Heavy Metal] ≤10PPM

[Storage] Store in cool & dry area, keep away from the direct light and heat.

[Shelf life] 24 Months

[Package] Packed in paper-drums and two plastic-bags inside.

[Net weight] 25kgs/drum

[What is Andrographis?]

Andrographis paniculata is a bitter tasting annual plant, referred to as the “King of Bitters.” It has white-purple flowers and it is native to Asia and India where it has been valued for centuries for its numerous medicinal benefits. Over the past decade, andrographis has become popular in America where it is often used alone and in combination with other herbs for a variety of health purposes.

[How does it work?]

According to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the active ingredient in andrographis is andrographolides. Due to the andrographolides, andrographis has potent anti-inflammatory and antimalarial properties. It also has antimicrobial properties, meaning it can help to fight off and prevent infections from harmful microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. In addition, andrographis is a powerful antioxidant and it can help to prevent free radical induced damage to your cells and DNA

[Function]

Cold and Flu

Scientists have discovered that andrographis helps to boost the immune system by stimulating the body’s production of antibodies and macrophages, which are large white blood cells that scavenge harmful microorganisms. It is taken for both the prevention and treatment of the common cold, and it is often referred to as Indian echinacea. It might help lessen the severity of cold symptoms such as sleeplessness, fever, nasal drainage and sore throat.

Cancer, Viral Infections and Heart Health

Andrographis may also help to prevent and treat cancer, and preliminary studies done in test tubes found that extracts of andrographis help to treat stomach, skin, prostate and breast cancer. Due to the herb’s antiviral properties, andrographis is used to treat herpes and it is also currently being studied as a treatment for Aids and HIV as well. Andrographis also promotes heart health and can help to prevent the formation of blood clots as well as to dissolve already formed blood clots. In addition, the herb relaxes smooth muscles in the walls of blood vessels and thereby helps to reduce high blood pressure.

Additional Benefits

Andrographis is used to promote gallbladder and digestive health. It also helps to support and strengthen the liver and it is used in combination with other herbs in several Ayurvedic formulations to treat liver disorders. Finally, andrographis extracts taken orally have been found to help neutralize the poisonous effects of snake venom.

Dosage and Precautions

The therapeutic dose of andrographis is 400 mg, twice daily, for up to 10 days. Although andrographis is considered safe in humans, the NYU Langone Medical Center warns that animal studies suggest that it may impair fertility. Andrographis may cause unwanted side effects such as headaches, fatigue, allergic reactions, nausea, diarrhea, altered taste and pain in the lymph nodes. It may also interact with certain medications and as with any supplement you should consult your health care practitioner before taking the herb.

In this clip (4 of 10), Dr. Sasisekharan examines some of the key features of linear polysaccharides, with chrondroitin and heparin as examples.
This clip is part of a lecture, “Studying the Effects of Natural Products,” by Ram Sasisekharan, Ph.D, Alfred H. Caspary Professor of Biological Engineering and Health Sciences and Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This lecture, given at NIH in 2006, is part of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Online Continuing Education Series. Free CME/CEU credit is available to health professionals (see https://nccam.nih.gov/training/videolectures).

Stevia grows best in upland areas in sub-tropical climate. In other places it can be grown as an annual. The plant prefers a lightly textured, well-drained soil to which organic matter has been added. It needs ample water so that the soil is consistently moist, but not wet. In hot, sunny climates it will do best in semi-shade. Propagation is from seed sown in spring, but germination rates can be low-expect half the seeds sown not to germinate. Plant seedlings out once all danger of frost is over. Leaves are best harvested just before flowering. The plants will also grow from cuttings,which are best taken in late winter.The concentration of stevioside in the leaves of Stevia increasing when the plants are grown under long day condition.While, cultivating stevia on a large scale, it can be grown in well-drained red soil and sandy loam soil. The soil should be in the pH range of 6.5-7.5. Saline soils should be avoided to cultivate this plant.

Stevia can be successfully cultivated all around the year all over India expect theareas, which receive snowfall, or temperatures go below 5 degree Celsius in winter.The summer temperatures actually do not affect this plant if the high summer temperatures have already been factored in the cultivation practices.Since seed germination rate is very poor,it is propagated vegetative. Though stem cuttings are used for vegetative tissue culture plants have proven to be the best planting material for Stevia. Tissue culture plants of Stevia are genetically pure, free from pathogens and haveexcellent vigor. The tissue culture plants can be planted throughout the year,expect during peak summer. An ideal planting density is 40,000 plants per acre with spacing of 25×40 cm in a raised bed system. The soil can be enriched with abasal dressing of 25 tons of well rotten farmyard manure/hectare

Soil Type
Stevia requires very good drainage any soil that retain the moisture for very long period of time are unsuitable for Stevia cultivation and should be religiously avoided.Red soil and sandy loam with a 6-7 pH are best for the cultivation of Stevia.

Raised bed preparation
Forming raised beds is the most economical way to grow Stevia. The raised bed should be of 15 cm in height and 60 cm in width. The distance between each plant 23 cm. This would give a plant population of around 40,000 per acre.

Planting Material
There are basically two options for multiplication. The first is the tissue culture and second the stem cutting. Tissue culture is the best option but many farmers are tempted to try the stem cutting method for multiplication. As per practical experience, stem cutting is sometimes more expensive to produce than the tissue culture since the success rate of the stem cuttings establishment is very low, it takes minimum of 25 weeks for the stem cutting to develop in proper feeding roots for transplantation (younger stem cuttings transplants have shown more than 50% mortality in first few weeks of transplants in main field).

Harvesting
Another important aspect of harvesting is the timing of harvest. It should be noted that at no point of time plants should be allowed to flower since after flowering the Stevioside percentage goes down rapidly and leaves are rendered unmarketable. Leaves are harvested by plucking in a small quantity, or the entire plant with the side branches is cut leaving 10 to 15 cm from the base.The first harvesting can be done four to five months after planting. Subsequent harvesting can be done every three months, for five consecutive years. The sweetener in the leaf is maximum till the plant flowers. Just before flowering, the plant should be cut completely leaving 10 cm from the ground. The new flush of leaves will sprout from here. The new plant will be ready for harvest again in three months. The plant yields around 3000 kg of dried leaves from an acre of plantation every year. Harvesting should be done as late as possible, since cool autumn temperatures and shorter days tend to intensify the sweetness of the plants as they evolve into a reproductive state.

Unlocking the sweetness in your harvest
Once all leaves have been harvested it’s required to dry them. This can be
accomplished on a net. The drying process is not one that requires excessive heat;more important is good air circulation. On a moderately warm fall day, stevia crop can be quick dried in the full sun in about 12 hours. (Drying times longer than that will lower the stevioside content of the final product.)
Crushing the dried leaves is the final step in releasing stevia’s sweetening power. The
dried leaves are powdered, sieved and the fine powder is stored in containers. This can be done either by hand or, for greater effect, in a coffee grinder or in a special blender for herbs.

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