Bacogens A1 and A2 are apimers,
and A4 is an ebelin lactone. Smith-de Mayo degradation of bacoside A gave
jujubogenin and pseudojujubogenin. Bacosides A and B possess haemolytic activity.
Other constituents present in the plant are D-mannitol, betulic acid,B-sitosterol,
stigmasterol; and its esters, heptacosane, octacosane, nonacosane, triacontane,
hentriacontane, dotriacontane, nicotine, 3-formyl-4-hydroxy-2H-pyran (C6H6O3),
luteolin, and its 7-glucoside. The presence of a-alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic
acid, and serine has also been reported.
Growing Conditions: Brahmi (bacopa monniera Linn) is a creeping plant
widely found through out India in damp, marshy places. Its capacity to enhance
memory was first noted almost three thousand years ago: the ancient Ayurvedic
text. A small creeping herb commonly growing in marshy areas throughout India
up to 2,000 feet above sea level. It can be easily grown in damp areas and
can be propagated by seed or cuttings.
It was brought into the modern age as a result of an initiative begun in 1951
by the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharal Nehru. Setting up a premier research
institute, the Central Drug Research Institute in Lucknow, he extorted his
nation's scientists to look into their own country's rich herbal treasure
and ancient texts to find a source of active ingredients for modern drugs.
The scientists' research drew them to look at the Brahmi plant in more depth
and they subsequently identified the active ingredients, two active molecules,
which, in 1963, were named Bacosides A & B. Initial tests were conducted
using rats which proved that those rats which received the drug showed improved
performance in learning situations as well as reaction and response times.
The neurobiological effects of the isolated molecules were investigated and
it was confirmed that Bacosides improved memory and facilitated learning by
increasing protein kinase activity and new protein synthesis, specifically
in cells in the areas of the brain connected with long term memory. It thus
effectively enhances memory by stimulating neural activity. The CDRI then
presented their findings to the world's scientific community at a series of
International Brain Research Conferences held between 1986 and 1996 in China,
Germany, France, USA, Canada and Australia.
In 1993, on the recommendation of the Ethics Committee of the CDRI, the Drug
Controller of India gave permission to conduct Phase I clinical trials of
Bacosides A&B on human volunteers as an allopathic drug. 31 volunteers
were subjected to double-blind, placebo-controlled, non-cross-over tests.
The trials, conducted by the CDRI, have found single doses (200 - 300mg) and
multiple doses (100 - 200mg) administered for four weeks have been tolerated
well and are devoid of any adverse reactions or side effects. (Standard four-phase
testing for an allopathic drug normally takes 10 - 12 years and comprises
toxicology, efficacy, multicentral testing and multicountry testing.). The
next stage was to optimise the dosage and concentrations of Bacosides A&B.
It meets the WHO guidelines for approval as a traditional remedy and is the
first "Ayurvedic drug" to be
introduced to the world: a remedy cited in ancient literature whose health
enhancing powers have
been harnessed by modern drug production methods.
In Ayurvedic medicine we have used a number of herbs to enhance the learning
process and memory. These herbs are called medhya rasayan. The literal meaning
of medhya means to enhance the intelligence of the person and rasayan means
rejuvenator or adaptogen. Bacopa monniera is one of the most popular medhya
rasayan and is prescribed as a brain tonic and also as a treatment for mental
disorders. For medicinal purposes extracts of bacopa monnierra are standardized
for bacopasides and have been shown to exert a remarkable effect on neurotransmitters.
Bacopa contains alkaloids brahmine, herpestin, and is highly toxic when administered
at doses of 0.5 mg per kg of body weight. Although its presence is very low
in bacopa the chemical action of these alkaloids resembles strichnine and
lowers blood pressure. The herb also contains saponins called bacopasides
which have very potent medicinal properties. Bacopa also contains D-mannitol,
betulic acid, beta sitosterol, stigmasterol, octacosane, nicotine, and amino
acids like alpha alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and serine. In one
experimental study, animals were individually trained in a simple T- maze
until they reached a predetermined level of performance. Following optimum
training they were divided into different groups. Group one was a control
group in which no medication was given. Group 2 was treated with diazapalm
(Valium). Groups 3, 4, & 5 were treated with 50% bacopasides, water soluble
extract and whole extract of bacopa. The experiment was continued for ten
days. On the tenth day the activity of the animals in the experiment was evaluated
by repeating the T- maze trial in which they were trained before starting
the experiment. Animals given Bacopa Plus showed remarkable learning and memory
enhancement as compared to control and other groups. Also, the biochemical
studies showed that the neurochemical content of the brain tissue collected
from the animals given Bacopa Plus showed an increase in the level of serotonin
content in the group as compared to the control another group. This has remarkable
clinical applications.
Bacopa As An Antidepressant
As most health care professionals know, when treating depression, Prozac is
the drug of choice because it is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
(SSRI). SSRIs (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft) selectively inhibit serotonin reuptake.
While broadly prescribed SSRIs as a class of antidepressants are used most
commonly to treat mild to moderate depression. Another class of antidepressants
are tricyclic compounds like Nor-Tryptaline and Amytryptaline (Pamelor, Elavil).
Cyclic antidepressants inhibit the reuptake of nonepinephrines and serotonin
and thus increasing the synapticconcentration of serotonin. MAO inhibitors
augment the action of nonepinephrine and serotonin by blocking the intracellular
catabolism of these compounds. And all has its share of side effects. It is
not yet clear by which mechanism the concentration of serotonin is increased
in the brain with Bacopa Plus. Bacopa may be a great natural herbal substitute
for all of these medications without side effects.
The understanding of clinical pharmacology of the serotonin system in anxiety
and depression is still in its early stages. But from recent experiments it
is clear that Bacopa Plus can be a wonderful alternative treatment for anxiety
and depression while also improving the capacity to learn and remember.
Bacopa for Petit Mal and Grand Mal Epilepsy
Longer duration treatment with bacopa may produce beneficial effects in treating
petit mal epilepsy and even prove beneficial in treating grandmal epilepsy.
Other studies have shown anticonvulsant activity against metrazol induced
seizures. In my clinic I have personally prescribed standardized bacopa for
anxiety, depression, and epileptic seizures with remarkable results. I also
prescribe Bacopa Plus along with ashwagandha to executives who are under a
lot of stress. In one case, I prescribed Bacopa Plus to a brain tumor patient.
One year before we started the treatment he was refused surgery because the
tumor was so large it was felt that surgery was too risky and may kill him.
But after one year of treatment with Bacopa they were able to remove the tumor
because it had reduced in size. It was a stage 4 tumor and University of Washington
neurosurgeons having found no metastasis were amazed, and this patient is
still doing wonderfully well. Although the bacopa I prescribed did not make
the tumor go away, it did help to keep the tumor contained without metastasis
and even reduced its size. In another study 169 patients with irritable bowel
syndrome were given a bacopa preparation in a placebo controled study. The
patients given bacopa experienced considerable improvement (65% as compared
to 33% in the placebo control group). The toxicity of bacopa is very low.
The extract of bacopa given orally up to a dose of 5,000 mg per kg of bodyweight
did not show any toxicity.
The LD50 of the bacopa extract was 17gm per kg. This means that a person weighing
60kg would have to take more than 1kg (2.2 lbs) of extract a day to produce
a dangerous dose. Which is highly unlikely. Actually the suggested therapeutic
dose of Bacopa is 60 mg 2 - 3 times a day. So it can be seen there is a very
high safety margin. Traditionally when a child is born, bacopa mixed with
sweetener is instilled in the child's mouth as a way of welcoming the newborn
into the universe.
Another study notes that the nociceptiv response is decreased after using
bacopa. The nociceptiv response is pain due to hypersensitive nerve endings
and can be either a somatic or viseral condition which is usually associated
with cancer pain. This means that Bacopa may be useful for patients diagnosed
with cancer. Bacopa is also known for its tranquilizing effects. Overall Bacopa
has proved to be a remarkable adaptogen, tranquilizer, brain tonic, and antidepressant
with virtually no side effects.
When patients are prescribed barbiturates, bacopa may potentiate the effect
of barbiturates so they may lower their doses. So if you are a patient with
epilepsy it can be combined with barbiturate therapy and thereby reduce barbiturate
intake. Bacopa can induce a general feeling of well being, and bring relief
from sleeplessness, anxiety, nervousness, palpitation, nervous dyspepsia,
irritability, lack of concentration, mental fatigue, and can improve your
ability to learn and remember more efficiently. Athur-Ved Samahita of 800
BC extolled its virtues and it was widely consumed by scholars and students
attempting to memorise long vedic hymns.
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