Chirayita is an especially bitter herb that is renowned for cleansing the blood and liver of inflammation and high pitta. Chirayita is derived from ‘kirata’ meaning bitter.

Common name: White chirayita (E), Chiretta (H), Kirat (H) Sanskrit Kiratatikta, Bhunimba Latin Swertia chirata–Folium (Gentianaceae)

ENERGETICS

• Rasa (taste) Bitter
• Virya (energy) Cooling
• Vipaka(post-digestive effect) Pungent
• Guna(quality) Light, dry, flowing
• Doshaeffect PK-, V+
• Dhatu(tissue) Plasma, blood
• Srotas (channel) Digestive, respiratory, blood, water

CONSTITUENTS

Iridoids Amarogenin, amarogentin, chiractin, Alkaloids Gentianine, swertinin, Xanthones,Flavones Eniflavine,Triterpenes ß-amyrin, lupeol(Paranjpe 2001, Williamson 2002)

AYURVEDIC ACTION

• Svasahara Alleviates asthma
• Raktadosa Cures impurities of the blood
• Trisnasodhana Relieves thirst
• Kustam Used in skin diseases
• Jvarahara Alleviates fever
• Kriminasaka Anthelmintic

BIOMEDICAL ACTION

Bitter tonic, febrifuge, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, alterative, cholagogue, vermifuge

Indications of Chirayita

Digestion Inflammatory digestive conditions, hyperacidity, bleeding piles and worms. It clears amapitta from the intestines as it acts as a mild laxative. As it stimulates the liver it can stimulate the appetite. This has a beneficial effect on rasa dhatu as it is formed as a by-product of food (ahararasa); well-digested, good-quality food creates a healthy rasa dhatu.

Skin Any skin problems with signs of heat, redness, inflammation, itching, burning may indicate the use of chiretta (Bhavaprakasa). It clears waste toxins from the blood, thus purifying rasa and rakta dhatu.

Fever Used in fevers caused by all three dosas and when aggravated by sweating and thirst.

Chiretta clears the ama and toxins that cause the fever and is a specific for malaria (Bhavaprakasa).

COMBINATIONS

* Cardamom, turmeric, kutki for GIT inflammation.
* Neem, manjishtha, gotu kola for skin problems.
* Ginger in fevers.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Pregnancy; high vata.

SAFETY

No drug–herb interactions are known.

DOSAGE

250mg–3g per day or 3–10ml per day of a 1:5 @ 25% tincture.

NOTES

• Chiretta grows up to 1m high and grows at 1500–3000m.
• Also known as Nepa-lanimba ‘The Nepalese bitter’, as it is commonly found in the temperate Himalayan forests of Nepal.
• Although similar in action, bitterness and use to kalamegha (Andrographis paniculata), it is a different species.