Kakamachi is a perennial shrub found throughout India. It is commonly called black nightshade. It is a good herb for treating inflammation, liver diseases, cough and many other ailments.
Benefits of kakamachi: Heart disease, swellings, enlarged liver and spleen, cirrhosis of liver, splenomegaly, cough, skin diseases, leprosy, asthma, bronchitis, hiccough, joint inflammation, dropsy, nephropathy, wounds, ulcers, fever, insomnia, piles.
Habitat: Found throughout India; up to 3000 m in the Western Himalayas.
Action: Leaf—alterative, diaphoretic, diuretic, sedative, hydragogue, expectorant; fruit—diuretic, tonic, alterative.
Scientific name: Solanum nigrum.
Useful part: Whole plant.
Dosage: Juice 10-20 ml, extract 20-50 ml, decoction 50-100 ml.
Energetics:
Rasa(taste): Bitter
Virya(post digestive effect): Not hot
Guna(quality): Light, slimy
Dosa effect: VPK=
Dhatu(tissue): Plasma, blood, bone, fat, reproductive
Srotas(Channel): Circulatory, reproductive.
Classical and common names
Ayurvedic: Kaakamaachi, Kaakaahya, Kaakamaataa, Dhvankshamaachi.
English: Black nightshade.
Constituents: Stems and root of this plant contains a spirostanol glycoside-uttronin A, furostanol glycosides: uttrosides A and B. Solanine has also been reported from the plant. The Berries contain the steroidal alkaloid glycosides solasonine, alpha – and beta-solamargine, alpha and beta-solanigrine; steroidal sapogenins: diosgenin and tigogenin; solasodine and solasodiene. Steroidal glycosides: desgalactotigonin and 26-0(alpha -D-glucopyranosyl)-22-methoxy-zs-D-5furost-3 -alpha-26-diol-3-0-alpha-Iycotetraoside. The total alkaloid content of fruits and leaves are 0.101 and 0.431% respectively.
Preparation: Decotion, juice.