Andrographis paniculata.  穿 心 莲  Chuān xīn lián, Lan ho lian  Andrographis, Green Chiretta, "The King of Bitters" Family: Acanthaceae    
PART USED: Whole plant
Nature: Cold    FLAVOR: Bitter   CHANNELS: Lung Stomach, Heart, Large Intestine
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Clearing Internal Heat- Neutralizing Toxins
1. Clear fever.[1,4] Detoxifies.[1,4]
2. Clears Damp Heat.[4] Reduces swelling.[1] Heal inflammation.
3. Alleviates pain.[1]
ACTIONS
INDICATIONS- Wide range of Heat disorders
1. Heat in the Lungs and throat: Upper respiratory tract infections-[3] Common cold. Tonsillitis.[1] Pharyngitis. Bronchitis. Pneumonia.[1]
2. Damp Heat- Enteritis, dysentery.[4] Bacterial dysentery.[1,4] Gastroenteritis.[1,3]
3. Heat in Urinary tract: Pyelonephritis.[1,3] Urinary infections. Urethritis.[3] Hot painful dysuria.[4]
4. Fire toxin manifesting as:[4] Skin infections:[3] Sores.[4] Abscesses.[1] Carbuncle.[4] Eczema.[4]
5. Poisonous snake bites,[1,4] applied fresh topically.[4]
External- application for infection due to injuries. Skin problems- applied topically as cream.[4]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Because it is bitter and Cold, long term use or large doses may injure the Stomach Qi.[4]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
- Skin lesions due to Heat and Toxicity or Damp Heat: Clears Heat and resolved toxicity, clears Damp Heat Dandelion & Lycium- Qing re an chuang pian.
COMBINATIONS- Chuan xin lian can be used as an inexpensive substitute for Coptis chinensis- Huang lian.
PREPARATIONS: Decoction- Whole plant 6-15 g for each dose. Dry part above ground 3-9 g.[2] Because this herb is extremely bitter, is is recommended that when taken directly as a powder it be packed in capsules before injesting.[4]
External use- a tincture extract is applied over affected parts.[1]
    
HABITAT: Transplanted and cultivated.
DESCRIPTION: Annual herb. Height reaching 1 m. Stem: oblong and angled, multi-branching, somewhat enlarged at nodes. Leaves: opposite, ovate-oval, apexes acuminate, bases cuneate, margins intact, short-petioled, shaped like a pepper leaf. Flowers: in summer-autumn, small white terminal and axillary flowers appear to form cymose inflorescences. Fruit: a capsule, long ellipsoid.
References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Constituents
Research.
Recently this herb has been used to treat leptospirosis.[1]
References

Andrographis paniculata in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review of safety and efficacy.
Coon JT, Ernst E.
Abstract
Acute respiratory infections represent a significant cause of over-prescription of antibiotics and are one of the major reasons for absence from work. The leaves of Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall ex Nees (Acanthaceae) are used as a medicinal herb in the treatment of infectious diseases. Systematic literature searches were conducted in six computerised databases and the reference lists of all papers located were checked for further relevant publications. Information was also requested from manufacturers, the spontaneous reporting schemes of the World Health Organisation and national drug safety bodies. No language restrictions were imposed. Seven double-blind, controlled trials (n = 896) met the inclusion criteria for evaluation of efficacy. All trials scored at least three, out of a maximum of five, for methodological quality on the Jadad scale. Collectively, the data suggest that A. paniculata is superior to placebo in alleviating the subjective symptoms of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection. There is also preliminary evidence of a preventative effect. Adverse events reported following administration of A. paniculata were generally mild and infrequent. There were few spontaneous reports of adverse events. A. paniculata may be a safe and efficacious treatment for the relief of symptoms of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection; more research is warranted. Planta Med. 2004 Apr;70(4):293-8. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Comparative controlled study of Andrographis paniculata fixed combination, Kan Jang and an Echinacea preparation as adjuvant, in the treatment of uncomplicated respiratory disease in children.
Spasov AA, Ostrovskij OV, Chernikov MV, Wikman G.
Abstract
A three-arm study comparing the efficacy of Kan Jang, a fixed herbal combination containing standardized Andrographis paniculata (N.) SHA-10 extract, with Immunal, a preparation containing Echinacea purpurea (L.) extract, in uncomplicated common colds was carried out in 130 children aged between 4 and 11 years over a period of 10 days. The study was designed as an adjuvant treatment of Kan Jang and Immunal with a standard treatment. The patients were assigned to one of the three groups. In control group C; 39 patients received only standard treatment. Kan Jang and Immunal were used as an adjuvant to this therapy in the other two groups. Adjuvant group A; 53 patients treated with Kan Jang tablets concomitant to standard treatment, and adjuvant control group B; 41 patients treated with concomitant Immunal. It was found that the adjuvant treatment with Kan Jang, was significantly more effective than Immunal, when started at an early stage of uncomplicated common colds. The symptoms of the disease were less severe in the Kan Jang group. The effect of Kan Jang was particularly pronounced in two objective parameters, amount of nasal secretion g/day and nasal congestion. Kan Jang also accelerated the recovery time, whereas Immunal did not show the same efficacy. The use of standard medication was significantly less in the Kan Jang adjuvant group than in either the Immunal or standard treatment group. Kan Jang treatment was well tolerated and no side effects or adverse reactions were reported. Phytother Res. 2004 Jan;18(1):47-53.  ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A double blind, placebo-controlled study of Andrographis paniculata fixed combination Kan Jang in the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infections including sinusitis.
Gabrielian ES, Shukarian AK, Goukasova GI, Chandanian GL, Panossian AG, Wikman G, Wagner H.
Abstract
A double blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical study was carried out to evaluate the effect of an Andrographis paniculata (N.) extract SHA-10 fixed combination, Kan Jang, in the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infections, including sinusitis. Ninety-five individuals in the treatment group and 90 individuals in the placebo group completed the study according to the protocol. The medication was taken for 5 days. Temperature, headache, muscle aches, throat symptoms, cough, nasal symptoms, general malaise and eye symptoms were taken as outcome measures with given scores. The total score analysis showed a highly significant improvement in the verum group versus the placebo. This result applied to the group as a whole and to the sinusitis subgroups. The individual symptoms of headache and nasal and throat symptoms together with general malaise showed the most significant improvement while cough and eye symptoms did not differ significantly between the groups. Temperature was moderately reduced in the verum group. It can be concluded that Kan Jang has a positive effect in the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infections and also relieves the inflammatory symptoms of sinusitis. The study drug was well tolerated. Phytomedicine. 2002 Oct;9(7):589-97. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cytotoxicity and cell cycle arrest induced by andrographolide lead to programmed cell death of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line.
Banerjee M, Chattopadhyay S, Choudhuri T, Bera R, Kumar S, Chakraborty B, Mukherjee SK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Breast cancer is considered as an increasing major life-threatening concern among the malignancies encountered globally in females. Traditional therapy is far from satisfactory due to drug resistance and various side effects, thus a search for complementary/alternative medicines from natural sources with lesser side effects is being emphasized. Andrographis paniculata, an oriental, traditional medicinal herb commonly available in Asian countries, has a long history of treating a variety of diseases, such as respiratory infection, fever, bacterial dysentery, diarrhea, inflammation etc. Extracts of this plant showed a wide spectrum of therapeutic effects, such as anti-bacterial, anti-malarial, anti-viral and anti-carcinogenic properties. Andrographolide, a diterpenoid lactone, is the major active component of this plant. This study reports on andrographolide induced apoptosis and its possible mechanism in highly proliferative, invasive breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231 lacking a functional p53 and estrogen receptor (ER). Furthermore, the pharmacokinetic properties of andrographolide have also been studied in mice following intravenous and oral administration.
RESULTS:
Andrographolide showed a time- and concentration- dependent inhibitory effect on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell proliferation, but the treatment did not affect normal breast epithelial cells, MCF-10A (>80 %). The number of cells in S as well as G2/M phase was increased after 36 h of treatment. Elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production with concomitant decrease in Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (MMP) and externalization of phosphatidyl serine were observed. Flow cytometry with Annexin V revealed that the population of apoptotic cells increased with prolonged exposure to andrographolide. Activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9 were also noted. Bax and Apaf-1 expression were notably increased with decreased Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression in andrographolide-treated cells. Pharmacokinetic study with andrographolide showed the bioavailability of 9.27?±?1.69 % with a Cmax, of 0.73?±?0.17 µmol/L and Tmax of 0.42?±?0.14 h following oral administration. AG showed rapid clearance and moderate terminal half lives (T1/2) of 1.86?±?0.21 and 3.30?±?0.35 h following IV and oral administration respectively.
CONCLUSION:
This investigation indicates that andrographolide might be useful as a possible chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic agent for human breast cancers.
J Biomed Sci. 2016 Apr 16;23:40. doi: 10.1186/s12929-016-0257-0. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov