Swertia chirayita
Swertia chirata
Swertia chirayita, commonly known as Chirata, is a potent medicinal herb renowned in Ayurveda for its intense bitterness. Widely used to treat fever, digestive disorders, and skin ailments, it possesses powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective properties, making it a vital natural remedy for enhancing overall immunity and detoxification.
- Scientific name: Swertia chirayita
- Family: Gentianaceae
- Native range: Asia-Tropical
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is classified within the order Gentianales and the family Gentianaceae. Ultimately, its taxonomic identity is defined by its placement in the genus Swertia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Gentianales | WCVP |
| Family | Gentianaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Swertia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, scientifically known as Swertia chirata, is recognized by various names depending on the linguistic context. In English, it is commonly referred to as Swertia chirata, while in Chinese, it is known as 奇拉塔獐牙菜 (zh), 奇拉塔獐牙菜 (zh-hans), or 奇拉塔獐牙菜 (zh-cn).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh | 奇拉塔獐牙菜 | Wikidata |
| zh-hans | 奇拉塔獐牙菜 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 奇拉塔獐牙菜 | Wikidata |
| en | Swertia chirata | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant is primarily distributed across various regions of the Indian Subcontinent. It can be found growing in the lush landscapes of Assam. Additionally, its range extends throughout the East Himalaya region. The plant is also widely documented within the borders of Nepal. Finally, it is commonly situated across the West Himalaya area.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Subcontinent | Assam | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | East Himalaya | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Nepal | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | West Himalaya | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Swertia chirayita, is highly valued in traditional medicine, where the whole plant is often utilized for its potent bitter principles. In various therapeutic applications, the whole plants are harvested to extract active compounds, though much of the medicinal potency is concentrated in the bitter roots and stems. From a biotechnological perspective, researchers often utilize underground tissues to study the primary sites of secondary metabolite accumulation. Furthermore, advancements in plant tissue culture allow for the development of shoot culture to facilitate rapid propagation and the study of growth patterns. Ultimately, the efficient production of shoot biomass through these controlled methods provides a sustainable way to obtain therapeutic ingredients without depleting wild populations.- Total parts
- 12
- Scientific sources
- 14
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| whole plant | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| whole plants | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| underground tissues | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| shoot culture | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| shoot biomass | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root cultures | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methanol extracts | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaves | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaf | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Swertia chirayita has 47 reported phytochemicals identified across 67 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include mangiferin, amarogentin, swertiamarin, swerchirin, beta-amyrin.
- Total chemicals
- 47
- Scientific sources
- 67
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| mangiferin | 7 | ★★★★☆ |
| amarogentin | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| swertiamarin | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| swerchirin | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| beta-amyrin | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| episwertenol | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| gentiopicroside | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxy-9H-xanthen-9-one | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 1,8-dihydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyxanthone | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 1-hydroxy-2,3,4,6-tetramethoxyxanthone | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Swertia chirayita has 20 reported activities identified across 41 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Hepatoprotective, Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, Antimalarial.
- Total activities
- 20
- Scientific sources
- 41
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Hepatoprotective | 6 | ★★★☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antimalarial | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Anticarcinogenic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hypoglycemic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifungal | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Swertia chirayita has 21 reported medicinal uses identified across 28 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include antidiabetic, liver diseases, antioxidant, diabetes mellitus, malaria.
- Total uses
- 21
- Scientific sources
- 28
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| antidiabetic | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| liver diseases | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| antioxidant | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diabetes mellitus | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| malaria | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| COPD | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Plasmodium falciparum | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antipyretic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| blood sugar | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |