Ayapan (Eupatorium Triplinerve) Properties, Benefits & Dosage

Ayapana is an ornamental erect perennial herb with aromatic leaves that grows 20 to 30 cm high. The 5-8 cm long leaves are smooth, lanceolate, and borne on purple stems. It produces many flowering heads with about twenty pink flowers, which are 6 to 7 millimeters long. Ayapana is native to South America and can be found in the Amazon region of Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and the three Guyanas. It has been introduced into the U.S. and can be found in Puerto Rico and Hawaii. It has naturalized in other tropical countries as well. Ayapana has three different Latin names (Ayapana triplinervis, Eupatorium ayapana, and E. triplinerve) but all three names refer to the same plant.

Ayapan is known as Vishalyakarni in Sanskrit and is considered an herb that heals wounds and controls blood clotting. The leaves and stem of Ayapana are indicated in bleeding diarrhea, bleeding piles, bleeding from the stomach or bleeding from any part of the body.

General Information

Ayapana is in the large Asteraceae plant family (which is also called the sunflower or daisy family). The Asteraceae is the second largest family in its Division with some 1,100 genera and over 20,000 recognized species. Two common and well known North American medicinal plant species in the family are boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) and Joe-Pye-weed (Eupatorium purpureum).

Active Ingredients of Ayapan

Plant chemicals documented in ayapana include:

•   1-8 cineol
•   Alpha-phellandrene
•   Alpha-terineol
•   Ayapanin
•   Ayapin
•   Beta-selinene
•   Borneol
•   Bornyl-acetate
•   Coumarin
•   Daphnetin
•   Dipentene
•   Herniarin
•   Hydrangetin
•   Linalol
•   Methylene-dioxy-6
•   7-coumarin
•   Sabinene
•   Stigmasterol
•   Thymoquinone
•   Thymohydroquinone
•   Umbelliferone.

Common Synonyms

•   English Name : Ayapana tea
•   Sanskrit Name : Vishalyakarni, Ayaparnah
•   Hindi Name : Ayapan, Ayaparna
•   Bengali Name : Vishalyakarni, Ayapan, Ayapani
•   Marathi Name : Ayapan, Ayapani (Maharashtra)
•   Malayalam Name : Aiyappana, Mrithasanjeevani
•   Tamil Name : Ayappani

Classification of Ayapan

•   Kingdom Plantae : Plants
•   Subkingdom Tracheobionta : Vascular plants
•   Superdivision Spermatophyta : Seed plants
•   Division Magnoliophyta : Flowering plants
•   Class Magnoliopsida : Dicotyledons
•   Subclass : Asteridae
•   Order : Asterales
•   Family Asteraceae : Aster family
•   Genus Eupatorium L. : thoroughwort P
•   Species Eupatorium triplinerve Vahl : yapana P

Habitat of Ayapan

Secondary forest, in moist locations, at elevations up to 1,600 metres

Uses & Effectiveness

•   Piles (bavasir): The leaves of the plant are ground and then squeezed to get the juice. This juice is taken in a dose of 10-20 ml, 2-3 times a day for a few days.
•   Malaria fever: Prepare decoction by boiling 20 g five parts of Ayapanai plant viz. leaves, roots, flowers, fruits and stem in 400 ml water till it reduces to one-fourth quantity. Drink 5-10 ml of this twice a day.
•   Fever due to cough or excess pitta/bile: Ayapanai has expectorant properties. In the case of fever due to cough, prepare a decoction by boiling 10 gm leaves in 200 ml water. Drink this twice or thrice a day.
•   Wound, insect bite, bleeding: Apply paste of clean fresh leaves. In the case of deep wound, apply the leaves paste topically and drink 5-10 ml Ayapanai leaves juice 3-4 times a day.
•   Internal haemorrhages, snake bite and vomiting: Drink 5-10 ml Ayapanai leaves juice 3-4 times a day.
•   Gingivitis, mouth ulcers: Swish the leaves juice in the mouth.

Effect on Doshas

Reduces vitiated kapha and pitta doshs

Parts Used

•   Leaves
•   Flowers
•   Whole Plant

Ayurvedic Properties

Precautions of Ayapan

Ayapana leaves contain naturally occurring coumarins with its blood thinning and anti-coagulant effect. A patient on blood thinning medications should avoid the concomitant use of ayapana and should consult a physician.