Scientific name: Acorus calamus

Sanskrit name: Vacha

Family: Araceae

Plant part used: Roots

General Description: Acorus calamus is a Perennial, semi-aquatic and smelly plant, found in both temperate and subtemperate zones. It is upto 6 feet tall, aromatic, sword-shaped leaves and small, yellow/green flowers with branched rhizome. Rhizome horizontal, jointed, somewhat vertically compressed, spongy within, 1.25-2.5 cm in thickness, pale to dark brown or ocassionally orange-brown in colour, leaves grass-like or sword shaped, long and slender flowers small, yellow-green, in spadix; berries green, angular,1-3 seeded; seeds oblong.

Traditional uses: It is a stimulating nervine antispasmodic, and a general tonic to the mind. As a rejuvenative for the brain and nervous system, it is used to promote cerebral circulation, to stimulate self-expression, and to help manage a wide range of symptoms in the head, including neuralgia, epilepsy, memory loss and shock. It is used in the Phillipines for rheumatism and memory problems. In Korea, it is an ingredient in a type of moonshine called Immortals' Booze. Research in China has shown the essential oil in this rhizome to be sedating and neuroprotectant.

Phytochemistry: It yields a light brown to brownish yellow volatile oil known as calamus oil. The important constituents are asarone and its ~-isomer. Other-constituents are calamenol; calamene, calamenone, methyleugenol. eugenol and a-pinene and camphene, lJtesence ofsmciJl quantities of palmitic, heptylic and butyIic acids, asaronaldehyde, calamol, calamone and azulene has also been reported. Sesquiterpenic ketones like acorone, calarene, calacone, calacorene, acorenone, acolamone, isoacolamone, epishyobunone, shyobunone, isoshyobunone and acoragermacrone, and alcohols like isocalamendiol and preisocalamendiol are also present.

Pharmacology: The essential oil and the crude alcoholic and aqueous extractsobtained from the roots showed depressant action in dogs. The smooth muscle activity of asarone and essential oil was found similar to that of papaverine. The activity of asarone was greater than that of the essential oil. It was found that the sedative effect of asarone was dependant on the depression of the ergotropic division of the hypothalamus. Acorus oil in 50 mg. and 100 mg./kg.Dose antagonised the dextroamphetamine induced agitational symtoms. At the same dose, it inhibited the conditioned avoidance response in rats. Roots and rhizomes are stimulant, emetic, nauseant, stomachic,aromatic, expectorant, carminative, antispasmodic and nervine sedative. In large doses of 30 to 40 grains, produces a violent and persistent emesis. In the form of infusion, acts as a tonic,stomachic, carminative and also as antiperiodic. The rhizome shows expectorant action due to the presence of essential oil.

Main Actions: Anthelmintic, Antispasmodic, Aromatic, Carminative, Emetic, Expectorant, Nauseant, Nervine Sedative, Stimulants and Stomachic.

Main Uses: Mental fatigue, memory loss, anxiety, bronchitis, sinusitis, tension headache, flatulence, joint pains.

Specification: