East Indian globe thistle

Last Updated: September 28 2022

Sphaeranthus indicus (also known as East Indian Globe Thistle) is a herb with a wide range of reported benefits but minimal research on it. Some studies suggest it to be a potent immunomodulatory and anti-diabetic agent; otherwise under-researched.

East Indian globe thistle is most often used for

Summary

East Globe Indian Thistle, the most pronounceable name given to Sphaeranthus Indicus, is a medicine from Ayurveda that appears to have a wide variety of claims attributed to it. It appears remarkably potent at a few claims, but a huge limitation of the science behind this herb is that the mechanisms of actions and the actual molecules in the plant that exert these actions are currently not well known at all. Many studies use particular extracts of the plant to concentrate a certain class of nutrients (such as petroleum ether extracts to concentrate the nonpolar compounds like sequiterpenes), and this is as far as the evidence is currently.

It has at least once demonstrated remarkable anti-allergic effects in vitro in preventing mast cell degranulation, and has once been shown to increase testosterone levels (secondary to inhibiting conversion to DHT) with a similar potency of Finasteride. Three times it has shown efficacy in controlling blood glucose, with two of these studies showing similar potency to Glibenclamide (a reference drug used in the treatment of type II diabetes). One study that was in vitro on cancer cell lines noted astonishing anti-proliferative effects in the range of 80-100% inhibition, which competed with many reference drugs used in cancer therapy.

However, all of these studies are highly preliminary. East Globe Indian Thistle is at a crossroads of being amazingly promising yet not having sufficient evidence to support its usage. The lack of side-effects attributed to it may merely be secondary to it not having a large usage in society or sufficient testing.

What else is East Indian globe thistle known as?
Note that East Indian globe thistle is also known as:
  • East Indian Globe Thistle
  • Mundi
  • Gorakhmundi
  • Kottakaranthai
  • Mahamundi
  • Sphaeranthus Indicus
East Indian globe thistle should not be confused with:
Dosage information

There is no human evidence at this moment in time for an optimal dose of sphaeranthus indicus, but based on rat evidence using 200mg/kg then an estimated human dose is:

  • 2,200mg for a 150lb person
  • 2,900mg for a 200lb person
  • 3,600mg for a 250lb person

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References
6.^Pujar PP, Sawaikar DD, Rojatkar SR, Nagasampagi BAEudesmanoids from Sphaeranthus indicusFitoterapia.(2000 Jun)
10.^Mishra BB, Yadav SB, Singh RK, Tripathi VA novel flavonoid C-glycoside from Sphaeranthus indicus L. (family Compositae)Molecules.(2007 Oct 20)
13.^Shirwaikar A, Prabhu KS, Punitha ISIn vitro antioxidant studies of Sphaeranthus indicus (Linn)Indian J Exp Biol.(2006 Dec)
14.^Fonseca LC, Dadarkar SS, Lobo AS, Suthar AC, Chauhan VS, Chandrababu S, Sharma SD, Dagia NM, Padigaru M7-hydroxyfrullanolide, a sesquiterpene lactone, inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokine production from immune cells and is orally efficacious in animal models of inflammationEur J Pharmacol.(2010 Oct 10)
16.^Ali A, Shyum Naqvi SB, Gauhar S, Saeed RAnti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of ethanolic extract of Sphaeranthus indicus LinnPak J Pharm Sci.(2011 Jul)
17.^Ramachandran S, Asokkumar K, Uma Maheswari M, Ravi TK, Sivashanmugam AT, Saravanan S, Rajasekaran A, Dharman JInvestigation of Antidiabetic, Antihyperlipidemic, and In Vivo Antioxidant Properties of Sphaeranthus indicus Linn. in Type 1 Diabetic Rats: An Identification of Possible BiomarkersEvid Based Complement Alternat Med.(2011)
19.^Ghaisas M, Zope V, Takawale A, Navghare V, Tanwar M, Deshpande APreventive effect of Sphaeranthus indicus during progression of glucocorticoid-induced insulin resistance in micePharm Biol.(2010 Dec)
21.^Mathew JE, Srinivasan KK, Dinakaran V, Joseph AMast cell stabilizing effects of Sphaeranthus indicusJ Ethnopharmacol.(2009 Mar 18)
24.^Mathew JE, Joseph A, Srinivasan K, Dinakaran SV, Mantri A, Movaliya VEffect of ethanol extract of Sphaeranthus indicus on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in ratsNat Prod Res.(2012)