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Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae)

(Syns.: C. olivaris Targioni-Tozzetti; C. tuberosus Roxn.; Pycreus rotundus (L.) Hayek)

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Handbook of 200 Medicinal Plants

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Abstract

A species found throughout the plains of India especially south India, Asia, Australia, southern Europe and North America. It is one of the world’s worst invasive, most widespread, problematic, and economically damaging agronomic weeds, growing wildly in various tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Tuberous rhizomes are slightly fragrant and contain essential oil; the fragrance resembles lemon and cardamom, and the tubers are used as perfume for clothing and as a means to repel insects. Tubers are also aphrodisiac, and useful in infusion or as soup in fevers, diarrhea, dysentery, dyspepsia, vomiting, and cholera. It is one of the drugs mentioned by Dioscorides as cardiac, brain, nervine and gastric tonic, carminative, mouth-freshener, diuretic, emmenagogue, astringent and stomachic. It dilates blood vessels and causes diuresis in patients with kidney stones and ascites, and is an antidote to scorpion poison. Topical application of decoction of Indian variety completely removes hairs from the skin. In Ayurveda, its properties are described as katu, tikta, and Kashaya taste; laghu and ruksha properties; sita potency and katu taste after digestion; and its uses in agnimãndya, ajirna, trsnã, jvara, sangrahani, ŝvãsa, kãsa, mutrakrcchra, stanyavikãra, vamana, sutikãroga, atisãra, ãmavãta and krmiroga. In the Philippines, the rhizomes were used in the treatment of dysentery, and roots for colic, indigestion, coughs and heart troubles; and also worn by the Pokot as a protective charm against various ailments in East Africa. In Chinese medicine, tubers are credited with vital-energy-regulative, menstruation-corrective and analgesic properties; and are used in the treatment of digestive disorders due to depressed vital energy of the liver, retention of phlegm and fluid, chest and costal pain, irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, and for various ailments during the perinatal period. From the rhizomes/tubers sesquiterpenoids and sesquiterpene, iridoid glycosides, phenolic compounds, β-selinene, sesquiterpene alkaloids, and a novel norsesquiterpene have been isolated. Aqueous, ethanol, petroleum ether and other extracts of rhizomes/tubers have exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effect in animal models of inflammation. Rhizomes extract inhibits collagen-, thrombin-, and/or AA-induced platelet aggregation; (+)-nootkatone, one of the components, produces the most potent inhibitory effect on collagen-, thrombin-, and AA-induced platelet aggregation.

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    Shahid Akbar

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Akbar, S. (2020). Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae). In: Handbook of 200 Medicinal Plants. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16807-0_89

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