BACOPA MONNIERI

1. Common name: Water hyssop

2. Botanical name: Bacopa monnieri (L.) Pennell.

3. Family: Plantaginaceae
4. Synonyms:
Bacopa monniera Hayata & Matsum.
Bramia monnieri (L.) Pennell.
Brahmi, Indian pennywort

5. Description and habitat:

Creeping perennial native to the wetlands of southern and Eastern India, Australia,
Europe, Africa, Asia, and North and South America, with a stem 10 to 20 cm long that
producing roots at nodes. The small oblong leaves are succulent and 4-6mm thick. The
flowers are small and white with a purple tinge and 4-5 petals. It is non-aromatic, but
attractive to bees, butterflies and birds.

6. Cultivation or wild-crafting:
A popular aquarium plant, it even grows in slightly brackish conditions. Propagated by
cuttings. Prefers warmer temperate climates through to tropical zones and requires a
wet soil to shallow water. (PFAF, 2012; Wikipedia, 2019)

7. Parts used: Whole plant or aerial parts.

8. Harvest, drying and storing: (NMPB, 2015)

The plants should be harvested between October and November, after which there is
loss of plant biomass and bacoside yield. The plant can be ideally harvested by
removing the upper portions of the stem 4-5 cms from the base leaving the rest for
regeneration.
Can be dried in by spreading on the ground under shade at room temperature, or at
80° C in the oven for 30 minutes immediately after harvest for a two-fold retention of
bacoside-A content. Store in cool try conditions and take precautions against
infestation.
 Bacopa monnieri

9. Active constituents:
Alkaloid (brahmine) and triterpenoid saponins (bacosides A and B), with aglycone units
jujubogenin or pseudo-jujubogenin moieties.

10. Actions:
Anti-oxidant, hepatoprotective and neuroprotective activity. (Chaudhari et al, 2017)
Anticonvulsant (Bone, 1996; Chaudhari et al, 2017)
Sedative with no effect on motor coordination (Bone, 1996)
Nootropic (improves learning). Investigations in humans show better retention of new
information (Roodenrys et al, 2002), and improved speed of visual information
processing, learning rate and memory, with maximal effects evident after 12 weeks
(Stough et al, 2001).
Research demonstrates several mechanisms of action in the brain including:
• acetylcholinesterase inhibition
• choline acetyltransferase activation
• increased cerebral blood flow
• β-amyloid reduction (particularly important in Alzheimer’s disease)
• antioxidant effects in areas of the brain associated with learning and memory
(Chaudhari et al, 2017)

11. Applications and clinical indications:

An open study on 13 patients with epilepsy demonstrated improvements in frequency
of seizures over 2-5 months, and in 5 cases the fits ceased completely. (Bone, 1996)
Bacopa is commonly used for Alzheimer's disease, improving memory and anxiety
Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

12. Contraindications, toxicity and safety considerations:

Nausea, increased intestinal motility, and gastrointestinal upset have been reported
but no serious adverse effects even after long periods of administration.

13. Preparations:
• Dried aerial parts or whole plant
• Tincture, liquid extract or infusion

14. Dosage and duration of use:

• 2-6 g/day of the dried herb
• 4-12 mL/day of 1:2 liquid extract
 Bacopa monnieri

15. Folklore and traditional use:

The plant is the foremost nerve tonic in Ayurvedic medicine traditionally used for
epilepsy, insanity and to improve memory and mental function. The herb was allegedly
used by ancient Vedic scholars to memorize lengthy sacred hymns and scriptures.
Bacopa is colloquially called Brahmi, after the Hindu creator-god Brahma, especially
when combined with other alleged intellect-sharpening herbs like Centella asiatica
(Gotu Kola) - another herb containing saponins. Bacopa is consistently found in the
Ayurvedic preparations for cognitive dysfunction and is a major constituent of medhya
rasayana formulations whose target is learning and memory. Its other common uses
include asthma, epilepsy, and hoarseness. (Chaudhari et al, 2017).
16. Summary:
Bacopa has a long history of use for calming and learning, with particular application in
senile dementia, epilepsy and potentially ADHD. It seems to help mental function
without causing excitation, and partly this may be a result of its support for cerebral
blood flow as an antioxidant. Results in elderly patients in particular are promising. The
bulk of evidence is that it helps retention rather than acquisition of information.

NOTE: The information in this factsheet regarding pharmacological actions, indications and
dosage is based on clinical experience and a range of herbal texts typically used by
practitioners. It is intended as a starting point for your own learning.

17. References and further reading:

Bone, K. (1996). Clinical applications of Ayurvedic and Chinese herbs: monographs for
the Western herbal practitioner. Warwick, Qld: Phytotherapy Press.
Chaudhari, K. S., Tiwari, N. R., Tiwari, R. R., & Sharma, R. S. (2017). Neurocognitive
Effect of Nootropic Drug Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) in Alzheimer's Disease. Annals of
neurosciences, 24(2), 111–122. doi:10.1159/000475900
NMBP website (2015).
https://www.nmpb.nic.in/sites/default/files/publications/brahmi.pdf Accessed
13.05.19.
Plants for a Future (2015).
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Bacopa+monnieri accessed 13.05.19
Stough, C., Lloyd, J., Clarke, J. et al. The chronic effects of an extract of Bacopa
monniera (Brahmi) on cognitive function in healthy human subjects.
Psychopharmacology (2001) 156: 481. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002130100815
Roodenrys S, Booth D, Bulzomi S, Phipps A, Micallef C, Smoker J. (2002). Chronic
Effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) on Human Memory. Neuropsychopharmacology,
27: 279–281.
Wikipedia article on Bacopa, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacopa_monnieri, accessed
13.05.19