‘Anonsika': to relieve asthma attacks and respiratory problems
- Posted on 18/03/2025 16:48
- Film
- By abelozih@sante-education.tg
Extract from the article: Euphorbia hirta, also known as ‘Anonsika’ in Mina, is commonly known in French as ‘herbe d'asthme’. It is a plant widely used in traditional medicine to treat various respiratory disorders such as asthma, bronchitis and coughs. A decoction of the pla
Euphorbia
hirta, also known as ‘Anonsika’ in Mina, is commonly known in French as ‘herbe
d'asthme’. It is a plant widely used in traditional medicine to treat various
respiratory disorders such as asthma, bronchitis and coughs. A decoction of the
plant is also used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery.
The
plant is mainly composed of terpenoids, diterpene esters of the phorbol and
ingenol types, ingenol triacetate and the highly toxic tinyatoxin, which is a
derivative of resiniferonol. Anonsika has
a rich phytochemistry, offering a variety of pharmacological benefits,
including dietary antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties and phytonutrients
that support immune function. Euphorbia hirta leaves have anti-inflammatory and
healing properties, while its juice has been used to treat colds and diarrhoea.
Relieving
asthma and respiratory disorders
‘Anonsika
is used in traditional medicine to relieve the symptoms of asthma, bronchitis
and other respiratory illnesses. It
contains compounds with bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory effects, which can
help relieve breathing difficulties and reduce the frequency of asthma attacks.
According
to the study entitled ‘Screening of
hundred Rwandese medicinal plants for antimicrobial and antiviral properties’,
published in the Journal of
Ethnopharmacology (Volume 46), Euphorbia hirta proved highly active against
pathogenic bacteria and viruses. It is remarkable that all the active parts of
these plants are used in traditional Rwandan medicine to treat microbial, viral
and parasitic infections. Extracts of Euphorbia hirta show inhibitory activity
against certain respiratory viruses, suggesting its potential to relieve
symptoms associated with viral bronchitis.
The aqueous extract of the leaves is used to treat coughs, colds and
asthma. The effectiveness of E. hirta in the treatment of asthma may lie mainly
in the synergistic relationship between flavonoids, sterols and triterpenoids.
Recipe: Take a handful of freshly
washed plant or, failing that, dried herbs, in 1 litre of water. Boil the plant
for 15 minutes, then leave to cool. Filter and drink throughout the day. Drink
1 glass of bamboo morning, noon and evening, at least 30 minutes after meals.
Treating diarrhoea
The
study entitled ‘Euphorbia hirta Linn
(Euphorbiaceae), a promising plant species for combating bacillary dysentery:
in vitro experiments in Ivory Coast, published in the International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences (November
2021), shows that Anonsika is a plant with therapeutic properties against
infectious bloody diarrhoea in Ivory Coast. The plant combats shigellosis, also
known as bacillary dysentery, an infectious intestinal disease caused by a
group of bacteria known as Shigella.The main symptoms of this infection are
severe, often bloody diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and fever. According to one
study, the plant proved effective in vitro, in vivo and clinically against
Entamoeba, the causative agent of amoebic dysentery.
Raymond DZAKPATA
