Introduction:

Patharchatta (Kalanchoe Pinnata) also known as ‘Bryophyllum pinnatum’ & ‘Bryophyllum Calcicola’ is a decorative and medicinal plant commonly known as cathedral bells, air plant, miracle leaf, Goethe plant and mother of thousands. It is a succulent plant native to Madagascar but became naturalized in tropical and subtropical areas. It is a popular house plant as ornamental plant and also garden plant as medicinal values contained in it. It is a perennial succulent plant widely grown in India and South Asia. Due to tall hollow stems, it is known as air plant. Patharchatta has dark green leaves and bell like pendulous flowers. Ancient Indian medical system Ayurveda names it Pashanabheda and suggests so many medicinal uses.

Description:

Patharchatta is a beautiful plant having erect stem decorated with opposite wings containing three or five deep green leaves. Leaves of the plant are thick, fleshy, and elliptical in shape, curved with a crenate or serrated margin. The leaves are remarkable for their ability to produce bulbils. At their margin, between the teeth, adventitious buds appear which produce roots, stems and leaves. When these plantlets fall to the ground, they root and can become larger plants. This is very common trait in the species Bryophyllum. Patharchatta plant also bears red orange flowers appearing in bunch.

Uses:

Though Patharchatta plant is mainly used as indoor plant for decoration purpose but I have seen its medicinal use in rural areas as the treatment of indigestion problems, two or three leaves are chewed to control dysentery caused by food poisoning. Ayurveda suggests the juice of the leaves of this plant to treat kidney stones, juice of roasted leaves are applied to counter inflammations and juice of leaves mixed with coconut oil applied on foreheads to treat headache.

Nutritional Values of Patharchatta:

According to clinical studies it is found that Patharchatta plant is rich in bioactive compounds like alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, triterpenes, cardienolides, bufadienolides, lipids and steroids. In addition to the above compounds of medicinal values, Patharchatta plant contains many nutrients also as: Fats & oils-1.3%, Fibre-6%, Protein-5.4%, Carbohydrate-73%, Iron-0.2%, Copper-0..03%, Zinc-0.3%, Pottassium-3.5%, Nickel-0.1%, calcium-5%, Sodium-0.3%, Lead-0.03% and Cadmium-0.2%.

Properties of Patharchatta:

According to different studies conducted by different streams of medicine, Patharchatta may have the following properties:

• It may reduce mutations caused by cancerous cells,
• It may reduce blood glucose level,
• It may control the growth of fungus,
• It may control the growth of bacteria,
• It may reduce inflammation,
• It may prevent the formation of ulcers in stomach,
• It may enhance liver health,
• It may strengthen the immune system and
• It may protect the kidneys.

Side Effects of Using Patharchatta:

Though Patharchatta is generally considered to be safe but some experts have given their opinion about the excess consumption of Patharchatta may cause fatigue, dry throat, agitation and vomiting tendency. It is an old proverb that excess of everything is bad, so one must take suggestion of medical practitioner about the dose of any medicine, whether it is herbal or not.

Precautions:

Before consuming the leaves of Patharchatta, it is suggested to wash them with clean water or warm water, people having cardiac issues should not take this, pregnant women and mother of infants should avoid Patharchatta.

Conclusion:

Patharchatta is a beautiful plant to decorate our indoor garden as well as outdoor garden because of its deep green leaves, erect hollow stem and pink- green flowers. In traditional medicine, Patharchatta has been used to treat a variety of ailments, including respiratory infections, kidney stones, dysentery and skin infections. Its leaves are believed to have antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. However more research is required to fully understand the potential health benefits and risk of using this plant for medicinal purposes.