Bitterroot Restoration

Order: Lamiales
Family: Plantaginaceae

Common name: Brahmishak, adhabirani(Beng.); Indian pennywort, Thyme-leafed gratiola(Eng.).
Edible Parts: Whole plant, leaf
Life cycle: Perennial
Native Range: Native to India including the North Eastern region.

Bacopa monniera, is a small, creeping herb with numerous branches, succulent, rooting at the nodes, with numerous prostrate branches, each 10-30 cm long. It leaves are petiole, oblong, sessile, and fleshy. Flowers are purple in color; axillary, solitary with peduncles. Flowers and fruit appear in summer and the entire plant is used medicinally.

This plant has a number of uses in Ayurveda. It is a traditional treatment for epilepsy and asthma. The triterpenoid saponins and their bacosides are responsible for Bacopa's ability to enhance nerve impulse transmission. The bacosides aid in repair of damaged neurons by enhancing kinase activity, neuronal synthesis, and restoration of synaptic activity, and ultimately nerve impulse transmission. Loss of cholinergic neuronal activity in the hippocampus is the primary feature of Alzheimer's disease.