Thottavadi

  • Botanical Name : Mimosa pudica
  • English Name : Touch-Me-Not
  • Sanskrit Name : Lajjalu
  • Malayalam Name : Thottavadi (തൊട്ടാവാടി)
  • Part Used : Whole Plant
About Image

Overview

  • Mimosa pudica are herbaceous plants with showy flowers. The leaf arrangement on the stem may be alternate, opposite, or whorled. There are 3 sepals, one of which is larger than the other two and projects behind the flower into a spur-like sac that contains nectar.
  • Mimosa pudica is not the only member of the legume plant family to move in response to stimuli. This involves the closing up of the leaves a few hours before dusk, and the re-opening of the leaves a few hours before dawn. It is thought that these ‘sleep movements’ aid water conservation as well as defence against herbivory.

Habitat

  • A weed of wetter coastal areas, mostly found in plantation crops, disturbed sites, pastures, wastelands, parks, lawns, gardens, and along roadsides.
  • Mimosa pudica is native to the tropical Americas and can also be found in Asian countries such as Singapore, Bangladesh, Thailand, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Japan, and Sri Lanka.
  • A prickly, long-lived (perennial), herbaceous plant or small shrub with a creeping (prostrate or decumbent) or sprawling habit. It usually only grows 15-50 cm tall but can reach up to 1 m or more in height when supported by other vegetation.

Phytochemistry

  • Phytochemical screening of Touch-Me-Not plant leaf extract showed the presence of flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids, alkaloids, coumarins, saponins, tannins, phenols and quinines.
  • The root extract showed the presence of fatty acids, glycosides, essential oils, tannins, amino acids, alkaloids, phytosterol, and flavonoids. Some of the important phytochemical compounds isolated from Touch-Me-Not plants are mimosine, jasmonic acid, betulinic acid, stigmasterol, Beta-sitosterol, 2-hyrdoxymethyl-chroman-4-one, dimethyl ammonium salt and mimopudine.
Nutritional Prowess Image

Nutritional Prowess

  • Medicinal properties of Mimosa pudica reported so far mainly include antidepressant, anticonvulsant, hyperglycemic and antiimplantation properties.
  • Mimosa pudica has a variety of pharmacological properties, including hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, wound healing, analgesic, antidiabetic, anxiolytic, antioxidant, anticancer, hypolipidemic, neuroprotective, immunological, diuretic, anthelmintic, anti-ophidian, antifertility, antidepressant and sedative activities
  • M. pudica decoction treats dysentery, leprosy, piles, urinary problems, skin diseases, leukoderma, and jaundice
  • M. pudica is also used to treat fever, cough, cholera, tuberculosis, biliousness, burning sensation, uterine problems, and syphilis. Due to its apoptotic effects, the whole plant parts have been used for cancer treatment in ethnomedicine, and it has also been used to treat myalgia and rheumatism.
  • Various parts of  M. pudica are used as an antidote for snake bites and scorpion stings.
  • The leaves and seeds decoction is used to treat urinary tract infections.
  • The leaves are used to treat ulcers, conjunctivitis, wounds, hemorrhoids, and hemorrhages. It is also applied on the forehead for migraine and headache relief
  • In countries such as Bangladesh, India, and the Philippines, the plant is used as an alternative treatment option for pruritus and other skin infections.
  • M. pudica roots are used to treat ulcers, dysentery, fever, asthma, jaundice, and hemorrhoids.
  • M. pudica extract is used in Cameroon to treat several ailments, including headaches, sleeplessness, and anxiety disorders.

Dermatological Perks

  • Mimosa pudica, commonly known as Touch-Me-Not, is used in folklore medicine to arrest bleeding and treat skin diseases.
  • Mimosa pudica has anti-inflammatory properties.
  • Mimosa flower extracts in skincare products can help diminish the appearance of skin blemishes and wrinkles, stimulate collagen production, delay early signs of aging and exfoliate dead skin cells.
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