Amaranthus spinosus, Spiny amaranth, spiny pigweed, prickly amaranth

Amaranthus spinosus, commonly known as the spiny amaranth, spiny pigweed, prickly amaranth, or thorny amaranth belongs to the Amaranth family Amaranthaceae. The plant is widely distributed throughout the tropics and warm temperate regions of Asia from Japan to Indonesia to India, the Pacific islands, native to tropical America and Australia as a weed in cultivated as well as fallow lands. The plant is sometimes a noxious weed. It can be a serious weed of rice cultivation in Asia. You can cook the leaves and stems or eat raw to get its very nutritious benefits. Prickly amaranth, Spiny amaranth, Thorny amaranth, Thorny pigweed, Prince-of-Wales-feather, Carelessweed, Edlebur, Needlebur, Pigweed, Prickly calalu, Spiny pigweed, prickly, pigweed, soldier-weed, spiny pigweed, thorny amaranthus, calaloo, needle burr, pigweed, prickly calaloo, prickly called, prickly caterpillar, spiny amaranthus, spiny calaloo, sticker weed, thorny pigweed and wild callau are some of the well-known common names of the plant. This herbal plant is mainly found in a warm area and is known for traditional medicine throughout the world.

Plant Description

Prickly amaranth is an erect, spinous, multi-branched, and smooth, herbaceous annual herb that grows up to 150 cm long. The plant is found growing in cultivated fields, waste places, roadsides; garbage heaps, abandoned fields, disturbed areas, fields, along railroad tracks, and stock pens. The plant thrives in rich, warm, loamy soils with high organic matter and sufficient nitrogen. The plant has a strong taproot with a network of fibrous feeder roots. The taproot may or may not be distinctly reddish in color. The stem is erect or sometimes ascending proximally, much-branched and bushy, rarely nearly simple, 0.3-1(-2) m; each node with paired, divergent spines (modified bracts) to 1.5(-2.5) cm.

Leaves

Leaves are simple and alternate without stipules. Leaf-blades are egg-shaped to diamond-shaped, with the broader end closest to the stem, and 1–4 inches long and 0.5–2.5 inches wide. The petiole is approximately as long as the blade. Leaves may be variegated with a v-shaped watermark or area of lighter color, although this is not a definitive characteristic of this species, since some other amaranths can show a similar watermark. Both sides of the leaves are smooth, with many small translucent dots. The upper side is green, the lower side often purple.

Flower

Flowers are unisexual, solitary in the axil of a bract, subtended by 2 bracteoles. Bracts and bracteoles are scarious, mucronate from a broad base, shorter than or as long as the perianth. Male flowers are usually arranged in a terminal spike above the base of the inflorescence.  Male flowers are often 3, free, subequal, ovate-oblong to oblong-spatulate, up to 2.5 mm long, very convex, membranous, with transparent margins and green or purple median band. Male flowers have 5 stamens about as long as tepals. Female flowers are with superior, oblong ovary, 1-celled, styles 2–3, ultimately recurved. The female flowers are located at the base of the spikes, the male flowers at the tip.

Fruit and Seed

Fertile flowers are followed by ovoid-shaped fruit, mostly dehiscent, compressed, ellipsoidal, acute? or obtuse, with a short inflated neck below the style base, circum sessile a little below the middle or indehiscent. The fruit split along a transverse circular line (circumscissile) at maturity and are one-seeded. The seed is about 1 mm in diameter, lenticular, smooth, shiny, compressed, black or brownish-black in color with a thin margin.

Health Benefits of Prickly Amaranth

Listed below are some of the well-known health benefits of Prickly amaranth

1. Help to lose weight

The most natural thing to do to lose weight is to maintain healthy eating; therefore we can gain the benefits of healthy eating. But amaranthus consists of a lot of vitamins and specific hormones that suppressed food appetite and helps to lose weight effectively.

2. Enhance eyes health

One of the many health benefits of Prickly amaranth is to improve eye vision. It consists of lutein that is connected to eye tissue to make better vision.

3. Treatment for gastrointestinal problems

Leaves of Prickly amaranth consist of high fiber content that allows better circumstances to facilitate the digestion process.

4. Hair health treatment

Prickly amaranth has a rare amino acid that helps to prevent baldness.

5. Develop bones

It can be used as a superfood to increase bone growth because it contains calcium that is necessary to develop bones. It has been said that this particular herbal plant is one of the higher holdings of calcium compared to any other vegetable.

Traditional uses and benefits of Prickly amaranth

• Leaves, roots, and whole plants are used as a laxative, blood purifier, diuretics, and soporific.
• Taking the crushed and squeezed juice from the plant will neutralize the venom in snake bites.
• Boiling the plant and taking it will keep help prevent miscarriages.
• Eating the leaves cooked in a curry will cure pain? in urination and kidney stones.
• Juice squeezed from leaves can be licked with honey to cure vomiting? and passing of blood, excessive menstruation, white vaginal discharge, gonorrhea, and sores and bumps.
• Paste of the root made with water will neutralize the poison if applied to the site of a scorpion sting.
• It can also be applied to boils to cure them.
• Applying either the paste of the root or using the crushed root as a poultice will cure the stiffness? of the muscles.
• Paste made with water can be strained and taken once in the morning and once at night to cure excessive menstruation.
• Seed is used as a poultice for broken bones.
• Plant is astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, emollient, febrifuge and galactogogue.
• It is used internally in the treatment of internal bleeding, diarrhea?, and excessive menstruation.
• Externally, it is used to treat ulcerated mouths, vaginal discharges, nosebleeds and wounds.
• Root is emmenogogue and galactogogue.
• Paste of the root is used in the treatment of menorrhagia, gonorrhea, eczema and colic.
• It helps to remove pus from boils.
• Juice of the root is used in Nepal to treat fevers, urinary troubles, diarrhea? and dysentery.
• It is also used, often combined with the root juice of Dichrophela Integra and Rubus ellipticus, to treat stomach disorders and, on its own, to treat indigestion and vomiting? that occur after eating unusual foods.
• Decoction of the root is used to treat gonorrhea and as an antipyretic in South East Asia.
• Bruised leaves are considered a good emollient and applied externally in cases of eczema, burns, wounds, boils, earache and hemorrhoids.
• Some tribes in India used A. spinosus to induce abortion.
• Ash of fruits of Amaranthus spinosus is used for jaundice? in the folk medicine of India.
• The plant ash in the solution is used to wash sores.
• Plant sap is used as an eyewash to treat ophthalmia and convulsions in children.
• It is used as an expectorant and to relieve breathing in acute? bronchitis in Malaysia.
• Decoction of roots has been used for the treatment of gonorrhea in the Philippines.
• Roots – sun-dried, calcined, powdered, and made into pill are used for gonorrhea.
• Roots are used for menorrhagia, gonorrhea, eczema, colic, and as lactagogue in Pakistan.
• Leaves and roots are used as laxatives, on boils, and as poultice for abscesses.
• It is used for insulin? is low or not working well. সহজ বাংলা: রক্তে চিনি বেশি থাকার রোগ।" data-rx-term="diabetes" data-rx-definition="Diabetes is a condition where blood sugar stays too high because insulin is low or not working well. সহজ বাংলা: রক্তে চিনি বেশি থাকার রোগ।">diabetes? in the traditional medicine of Taiwan and China.
• Enema prepared from the plant is used for piles in Gold Coast.
• A poultice of seeds is used for broken bones; used internally for bleeding, diarrhea?, and menorrhagia in China.
• Infusion of roots used in the treatment of eczema in India.
• Bruised leaves used as emollient; applied externally to ulcerations in the mouth, eczema, burns, wounds, boils, earaches, and hemorrhoids.
• It is used as an expectorant for acute? bronchitis in Malaysia.
• In Ayurveda, leaf infusion is used as a diuretic and for the treatment of anemia?.
• Root paste used in the treatment of gonorrhea.
• Ashes from the burnt plant used for sores; juice from the plant used as eyewash in Nigeria.
• In Hindi medicine, roots are used as a specific colic remedy.
• Warmed leaves are applied locally three times daily for five to cure boils and burns in the Bhadrak district of Odisha, India.
• The Anyi-Ndenye women of eastern Cote d’Ivoire use leaf enema during pregnancy.
• In the Guianas, root is used for toothache; leaf compresses are used as compresses in herbal curative baths by the Surinam Saramaccan Bush Negroes.
• Juice of A. spinosus is used by tribal of Kerala, India to prevent swelling? around the stomach.
• Leaves are boiled without salt and consumed for 2–3 days to cure jaundice?.
• it is a popular medicinal plant used to reputed for treat digestible, bronchitis, appetizer, biliousness, galactagogue, hematinic, stomachic effects, nausea?, flatulence, anorexia, blood diseases, burning sensation, leucorrhoea, leprosy, piles and as a treatment for hallucination, healing of wounds and rheumatism, and to arrest the coughing up of blood.
• Village people of Sikkim use leaf infusion of in stomach disorders especially in case of indigestion and peptic ulcer?.
• Leaves and roots are applied as a poultice to relieve bruises, abscesses, burns, wounds, infection?, or irritation, often causing pain?, swelling?, heat, or redness. সহজ বাংলা: শরীরের প্রদাহ; ব্যথা, ফোলা বা লালভাব হতে পারে।" data-rx-term="inflammation" data-rx-definition="Inflammation is the body’s response to injury, infection, or irritation, often causing pain, swelling, heat, or redness. সহজ বাংলা: শরীরের প্রদাহ; ব্যথা, ফোলা বা লালভাব হতে পারে।">inflammation?, menorrhagia, gonorrhea, eczema, gastroenteritis, gall bladder inflammation, stiffness?, or reduced movement. সহজ বাংলা: জয়েন্টের প্রদাহ।" data-rx-term="arthritis" data-rx-definition="Arthritis means joint inflammation causing pain, swelling, stiffness, or reduced movement. সহজ বাংলা: জয়েন্টের প্রদাহ।">arthritis? and for the treatment of snakebites.
• The plant is used in the treatment of abdominal pain?, chickenpox, dysentery, dysuria?, fever?, hysteria, malaria, mania, tonsillitis & vomiting?.
• Leaf juice of the plant, two teaspoonfuls thrice a day, is given to patients suffering from peptic ulcers.
• The Chinese use A. spinosus as a traditional medicine to treat insulin? is low or not working well. সহজ বাংলা: রক্তে চিনি বেশি থাকার রোগ।" data-rx-term="diabetes" data-rx-definition="Diabetes is a condition where blood sugar stays too high because insulin is low or not working well. সহজ বাংলা: রক্তে চিনি বেশি থাকার রোগ।">diabetes?.
• Seed is used as a poultice for broken bones.
• The Nepalese and some tribes in India apply A. spinosus to induce abortion.
• The root is also used for toothaches.
• In many countries, including those in Africa, the bruised leaves are considered a good emollient and applied externally in cases of ulcerated mouths, eczema, burns, wounds, boils, earache, and hemorrhoids.
• Bark decoction is taken in a volume of about one liter three times a day to ward off malaria.

Culinary Uses

• Leaves and stems of Amaranthus spinosus are eaten raw or cooked as spinach.
• Ash is also used as a vegetable salt and in southern Africa, it is used as a snuff, alone or with tobacco.
• Mature stems are piled, cut into small pieces, and cooked as vegetables,s, especially with small fishes.
• It is also added to the water as a tenderizer when cooking tough vegetables such as cowpea leaves and pigeon peas.
• The red pigment obtained from the plant (the report does not specify which part of the plant) is used as a coloring in foods.

Other Facts

• Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant.
• The red pigment obtained from the plant (the report does not specify which part of the plant) is used as a coloring in foods and medicines.
• In tropical Africa and elsewhere, A. spinosus leaves and young plants are collected for home consumption as cooked, steamed, or fried vegetables, especially during periods of drought.
• It is also used as forage and said to increase the yield of milk in cattle.
• It can produce up to 235 thousand seeds per plant.

References