JacksonYoo9591 at 01:20, 30 September 2025

2025-09-30T01:20:43Z

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{{Short description|Species of aquatic plant}}
{{for|another plant also sometimes called "brahmi"|Centella asiatica}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Starr_010818-0007_Bacopa_monnieri.jpg
|status = LC
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Lansdown, R.V. |author2=Knees, S.G. |author3=Patzelt, A. |date=2013 |title=''Bacopa monnieri'' |volume=2013 |article-number=e.T164168A17722668 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T164168A17722668.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
|genus = Bacopa
|species = monnieri
|authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]) [[Francis W. Pennell|Pennell]]<ref name=GRIN>{{GRIN | access-date=2008-03-13}}</ref>
|synonyms = ''Bacopa monniera'' Hayata & Matsum. 
''Bramia monnieri'' (L.) Pennell 
''Gratiola monnieria'' L. 
''Herpestes monnieria'' (L.) Kunth 
''Herpestis fauriei'' H.Lev. 
''Herpestis monniera'' 
''Herpestris monnieria'' 
''Lysimachia monnieri'' L. 
''Moniera cuneifolia'' Michx.
}}

'''''Bacopa monnieri''''', also known as '''water hyssop''',<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> '''brahmi''',<ref name=GRIN/> '''thyme-leafed gratiola''', '''herb of grace''',<ref name=GRIN/> and '''Indian pennywort''', is a [[Perennial plant|perennial]], creeping [[herb]] native to [[wetland]] areas globally.<ref name=GRIN/>

It is used in [[Ayurveda]]. In 2019, the US [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) warned manufacturers of [[dietary supplement]] products containing ''Bacopa monnieri'' against making illegal and unproven claims that the herb can treat various diseases.<ref name=fda-fraud/><ref name=fda/><ref name=fda2/> There is inconclusive evidence of it improving cognitive performance and [[memory]], and its safety and effectiveness remain uncertain.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Bacopa monnieri: Dietary supplements for brain health |url=https://www.opss.org/article/bacopa-monnieri-dietary-supplements-brain-health |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=www.opss.org |language=en}}</ref>

==Description==
[[File:Bacopa monnieri W IMG 1612.jpg|thumb|190px|right|''Bacopa monnieri'' in [[Hyderabad]], India]]

''Bacopa monnieri'' is a non-aromatic herb. The [[Leaf|leaves]] of this plant are succulent, oblong, and {{convert|4–6|mm|abbr=on}} thick. Leaves are [[oblanceolate]] and are arranged oppositely on the stem. The [[flower]]s are small, [[actinomorphic]] and white, with four to five petals. It can even grow in slightly [[salinity|brackish]] conditions. Propagation is often achieved through cuttings.<ref name="Purdue">{{cite web|last1=Oudhia|first1=Pankaj|title=Bramhi (Bacopa monnieri)|url=https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/CropFactSheets/bramhi.html|publisher=Society for Parthenium Management (SOPAM)|access-date=July 30, 2017|date=2004}}</ref>

==Ecology==
''Bacopa monnieri'' is one of the most widespread ''Bacopa'' species. It commonly grows in [[marsh]]y areas throughout [[India]], [[Nepal]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[China]], [[Pakistan]], [[Taiwan]], [[Vietnam]], tropical and southern [[Africa]], on [[Madagascar]], in [[Australia]], in the [[Caribbean]] as well as in Middle and South America.<ref name="GRIN" /> It is also found in [[Florida]], [[Louisiana]], [[Texas]], and [[Hawaii]].<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Plants of Louisiana |url=https://warcapps.usgs.gov/PlantID/Species/Details/3236 |access-date=2021-07-23 |website=warcapps.usgs.gov}}</ref>

It used to be found growing wild in freshwater swamps of [[Singapore]] and nearby regions known as ''beremi''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-17/issue-3/oct-dec-2021/ |title=The Role of Foraging in Malay Cuisine |last=Khir Johari |date=Oct–Dec 2021 |magazine=BiblioAsia |volume=17 |issue=3 |pages=20–23 |publisher=National Library Board, Singapore}}</ref>

==Research and regulation==
''Bacopa monnieri'' is used in [[Ayurveda|Ayurvedic traditional medicine]] in the belief it may improve memory and various ailments.<ref name=Aguiar2013>{{cite journal |last1=Aguiar |first1=Sebastian |last2=Borowski |first2=Thomas |title=Neuropharmacological review of the nootropic herb ''Bacopa monnieri'' |journal=Rejuvenation Research |date=2013 |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=313–326 |doi=10.1089/rej.2013.1431 |pmid=23772955 |pmc=3746283 |issn=1557-8577}}</ref> There is no good evidence that it improves cognitive performance and memory, while its safety and effectiveness remain uncertain.<ref name=":0" />

In 2019, the FDA issued [[FDA warning letter|warning letters]] to manufacturers of [[dietary supplement]]s containing ''B. monnieri'' that advertised [[health claim]]s for treating or preventing stomach disease, [[Alzheimer's disease]], [[hypoglycemia]], [[blood pressure]], and [[anxiety]] were unproven and illegal.<ref name="fda">{{cite web |author1=William A Correll, Jr. |title=FDA Warning Letter: Peak Nootropics LLC aka Advanced Nootropics |url=https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/peak-nootropics-llc-aka-advanced-nootropics-565256-02052019 |publisher=Office of Compliance, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations, US Food and Drug Administration |access-date=11 May 2019 |date=5 February 2019}}</ref><ref name="fda2">{{cite web |author1=William A Correll, Jr. |title=FDA Warning Letter: TEK Naturals |url=https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/tek-naturals-565026-02042019 |publisher=Office of Compliance, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations, US Food and Drug Administration |access-date=11 May 2019 |date=5 February 2019}}</ref> The FDA stated that no ''B. monnieri'' products have been [[drug approval|approved]] for medical purposes.<ref name="fda-fraud">{{cite web |title=Health fraud scams: Unproven Alzheimer's disease products (''Bacopa monnieri'' listed)|url=https://www.fda.gov/consumers/health-fraud-scams/unproven-alzheimers-disease-products |publisher=US Food and Drug Administration |access-date=11 May 2019 |date=22 December 2018}}</ref>

===Adverse effects===
The most commonly reported [[adverse effect]]s of ''B. monnieri'' in humans are [[nausea]], increased [[intestinal motility]], and [[gastrointestinal]] upset.<ref name=Aguiar2013/>

==Phytochemistry==
The best characterized [[phytochemical]]s in ''Bacopa monnieri'' are [[dammarane]]-type [[triterpenoid]] [[saponins]] known as [[bacoside]]s, with jujubogenin or pseudo-jujubogenin [[moiety (chemistry)|moieties]] as [[aglycone]] units.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sivaramakrishna |first1=C |last2=Rao |first2=CV |last3=Trimurtulu |first3=G |last4=Vanisree |first4=M |last5=Subbaraju |first5=GV |year=2005 |title=Triterpenoid glycosides from ''Bacopa monnieri'' |journal=Phytochemistry |volume=66 |issue=23 |pages=2719–2728 |doi=10.1016/j.phytochem.2005.09.016 |pmid=16293276 |bibcode=2005PChem..66.2719S }}</ref> Bacosides comprise a family of 12 known [[structural analog|analogs]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Garai | first1 = S | last2 = Mahato | first2 = SB | last3 = Ohtani | first3 = K | last4 = Yamasaki | first4 = K | year = 2009 | title = Dammarane triterpenoid saponins from ''Bacopa monnieri''| journal = Can J Chem | volume = 87 | issue = 9| pages = 1230–1234|doi=10.1139/V09-111 }}</ref> Other saponins called [[bacopaside]]s I–XII were identified.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chakravarty |first1=A.K |last2=Garai |first2=S. |last3=Masuda |first3=K |last4=Nakane |first4=T |last5=Kawahara |first5=N. |year=2003 |title=Bacopasides III–V: Three new triterpenoid glycosides from ''Bacopa monnieri'' |journal=Chem Pharm Bull |volume=51 |issue=2 |pages=215–217 |doi=10.1248/cpb.51.215 |pmid=12576661 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The [[alkaloid]]s brahmine, [[nicotine]], and herpestine have been catalogued, along with [[D-mannitol]], [[apigenin]], hersaponin, monnierasides I–III, [[cucurbitacins|cucurbitacin]] and plantainoside B.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chatterji |first1=N |last2=Rastogi |first2=RP |last3=Dhar |first3=ML |year=1965 |title=Chemical examination of ''Bacopa monniera'' Wettst: Part II—Isolation of chemical constituents |journal=Ind J Chem |volume=3 |pages=24–29 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1 = Chakravarty | first1 = AK | last2 = Sarkar | first2 = T | last3 = Nakane | first3 = T | last4 = Kawahara | first4 = N | last5 = Masuda | first5 = K | year = 2008 | title = New phenylethanoid glycosides from ''Bacopa monnieri'' | journal = Chem Pharm Bull | volume = 50 | issue = 12 |doi=10.1248/cpb.50.1616| pmid = 12499603 | pages = 1616–1618 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="Bhandari">{{cite journal | last1=Bhandari | first1=Pamita | last2=Kumar | first2=Neeraj | last3=Singh | first3=Bikram | last4=Kaul | first4=Vijay K. | title=Cucurbitacins from ''Bacopa monnieri'' | journal=Phytochemistry | volume=68 | issue=9 | year=2007 | issn=0031-9422 | doi=10.1016/j.phytochem.2007.03.013 | pages=1248–1254| pmid=17442350 | bibcode=2007PChem..68.1248B }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bacopa monnieri}}
* [http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=2229 Dr. Duke's Databases: ''Bacopa monnieri'', list of chemicals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130217204617/http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=2229 |date=2013-02-17 }}
* {{PFAF|Bacopa monnieri}}
* {{CalPhotos|Bacopa|monnieri}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1366575}}

[[Category:Plantaginaceae]]
[[Category:Aquatic plants]]
[[Category:Flora of Africa]]
[[Category:Flora of the Caribbean]]
[[Category:Flora of Northern America]]
[[Category:Flora of Australia]]
[[Category:Flora of Southern America]]
[[Category:Flora of China]]
[[Category:Flora of Taiwan]]
[[Category:Flora of tropical Asia]]
[[Category:Flora of the Southeastern United States]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants of Asia]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants of North America]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants of Oceania]]
[[Category:Nootropics]]
[[Category:Health fraud]]

Bacopa monnieri - Revision history

JacksonYoo9591 at 01:20, 30 September 2025