About Hygrophila auriculata (Schumach.) Heine
Hygrophila auriculata, also called gokaṇṭa in Sanskrit, and kulekhara and kokilākṣa in Bengali, is a herbaceous medicinal plant belonging to the acanthus family. It is native to tropical Asia and Africa, and grows in marshy areas. It has a range of regional common names across South Asia: it is commonly called kokilaksha or gokulakanta in India, neeramulli in Sri Lanka, vayalchulli (വയൽച്ചുളളി) in Kerala, Neermulli (நீர்முள்ளி) in Tamil Nadu, and Godugu-gaddi (గొడుగుగడ్డి) or Gruddi-kamanchi (గ్రుడ్డికామంచి) in the Telugu states. In Ayurvedic medicine, the seeds, roots, and panchanga (a preparation made by burning all five plant parts: root, flowers, stem, fruits, and leaves together into ash) are used for treatment. The plant has hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity, and can reduce toxic accumulation from certain therapies.
