Description

Like many herbs, Andrographis has shown a large range of therapeutic activities. These include being antiviral (1), antibacterial (2), antimalarial (3), hepatoprotective (4), anti-inflammatory (5), platelet aggregation inhibiting (6,7), anti-HIV, anti-allergic (8).

More specifically:

1. Andrographis paniculata significantly increases the activities of antioxidant defense enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione-S-transferase and reduced glutathione content. (9). It also proves to be a potent free radical scavenger (10).

2. It exhibits anti-histaminic properties and suppresses IL-2 (11, 12) and IL-12 (13).

3. As a hepatoprotective agent, it has been shown as, or even more, effective than silymarin (active component of milk thistle) [14] in reference to damage by ethanol and hepatitis B(15).

4. A. paniculata has been reported to work against Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, gram A streptococci, and Staphylococcus aureus (2).

5. Andrographis has shown strong antiviral activity against Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) (16) and HIV.

6. It has proven to be renal protective against damage due to ingestion of certain antibiotics (17).

7. It was reported that the effect of andrographolide or A. paniculata on sex hormones in patients with an impaired testosterone level, might be able to return hormone levels to normal and treat decreased libido and decreased mental and physical sexual activity (18).

8 A. paniculata resolved 88.3% of acute bacillary dysentery and 91.3% of acute gastroenteritis cases (19).