Brahmi: Sources, Macroscopical Characters and Uses


Guj- Barmi; Ben- Tholkuri; Hin- Brahmamanduki; Tam- allarei.

Biological source:

Brahmi consists of the fresh and dried leaves and stem of Centralla asiatica Urban.



Geographical source:

The plant grows in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Madagascar.

Macroscopical Characters:

1. Stem:


i. Long prostrate, filiform, often reddish with long internodes rooting at the nodes.

2. Leaves:

(i) Size: 2 to 6 cm in diameter.


(ii) Reniform or orbicular- reniform, cordate, 1 to 3 from each node, entire, crenate, lobulate, glabrous and long petioled.

(iii) Base: Cordate with angular sinus.

(iv) Margin: Crenate-dentate.

(v) Apex: Rotund, basally 5-7 nerved.


(vi) Petiole-7 to 15 cm in length, channeled, stipules short, adnate forming a sheathing base.

Chemical Constituents:

1. Saponin glycosides:

(i) Brahmoside (triglyceride of brahmic acid with rhamnose, glucose and arabinose),

(ii) Brahminoside (Tetraglycoside of brahmic acid).


(iii) Thankunoside: on hydrolysis a triterpenes acid, thankunic- acid, glucose and rhamnose.

(iv) Asiaticoside

(v) Oxyasiaticoside

2. Triterpene Acids:

i. Brahmic acid

ii. isobrahmic acid

iii. Asiatic acid Madasiatic acid.

iv. Madacass acid

v. Centic acid

vi. Centoic acid

3. Tannins

4. Flavonoid glycosides: 3-glycosylquercetin and 3-glucosylkaempferol.

5. Alkaloids: Hydrocotyline.

6. Sterol: Stigmasterol, β- sitosterol.

7. Amino acid: Aspartic acid, glycine, glutamic acid.

Asiaticoside (R = H) Madecassoside (R = OH)


1. Improve memory.

2. Sedative.

3. Antiprotozoal

4. In Case of epilepsy and other neurological conditions.

5. Blood purifier, tonic, diuretic etc.

6. Anti-bacterial and to heal wounds

7. Treatment of leprosy and skin disease.

8. Reported to heal peptic ulcer.

9. Antidote to cholera and in bronchitis, asthma.

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