Nelumbo nucifera, also known as Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, Egyptian bean or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. The Linnaean binomial Nelumbo nucifera (Gaertn.) is the currently recognized name for this species, which has been classified under the former names, Nelumbium speciosum (Willd.) and Nymphaea nelumbo, among others. (These names are obsolete synonyms and should be avoided in current works.) This plant is an aquatic perennial. Under favorable circumstances its seeds may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China. N.nucifera leaves have recently gained popularity in Taiwan as an ingredient in health-related beverages for weight loss.Several studies have shown that N.nucifera possess pharmacological & psychological properties including antioxidant, antiviral and immunomodulatory effects.
Recently, flavonoid-enriched N.nucifera leaf extracts were reported to inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer in vitro and in vivo, improving lipid metabolism and relieving liver damage resulting from high fat diet. Moreover, the anti-obesity potential of N. nucifera leaves has been demonstrated via increased lipolysis in adipose tissue.
Other studies demonstrated that the leaves of N. nucifera posses inhibitory activity towards atopic dermatitis.
Ref.
Improvement for high fat diet-induced hepatic injuries and oxidative stress by flavonoid-enriched extract from Nelumbo nucifera leaf.
J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Jul 8; 57(13):5925-32.
The sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) - phytochemical and therapeutic profile.
J Pharm Pharmacol. 2009 Apr; 61(4):407-22.
J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Jul 8; 57(13):5925-32.
Punjab - Region of Availability