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Basella alba L.

Summary
It is commonly known as Poi, a leafy vegetable that belongs to the family Basellaceae. It is a rich source of vitamins A, vitamin C, Folate and Manganese and bioactive compounds like Betalain and Gomphrenin I. Gomphrenin I is a potential anti-inflammatory agent that exhibits potent inhibitory activities against endotoxin-induced Nitric Oxide (NO), PGE2, and IL-1β secretion and transcriptional expression of inflammatory genes encoding iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6.

Mode of Consumption : Sauteed, fried and boiled
Plant Details Agro-climatic Zone Vernacular Names Pictures
Scientific Name: Basella alba L.
Family: Basellaceae Raf.
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Genus: Basella L.
Fruiting Season: July to September
Parts: Whole plant
  • The Eastern Coastal Region
  • The North-Eastern Hill Region
  • The Middle Ganga Plain Region
  • The Western Coastal Region
  • The Gujarat Region
  • The Deccan Interior Region & The Western Coastal Region
  • The Maharashtra Plateau Region & The Western Coastal Region
  • The South-Eastern Plateau Region & The Eastern Coastal Region
  • The Deccan Interior Region & The Eastern Coastal Region
  • The Lower Ganga Plain Region
 Andhra Pradesh : Baccali
Assam : Ronga Puroi, Maifrai
Bihar : Puroi
Goa : Valchibhaji
Gujarat : Pothi
Karnataka : Baselesoppu
Kerala : Vasalaccira, Cheera, Vallicheera
Maharashtra : Velbondi, Mayalu, Maayala
Manipur : Urok sumbal
Odisha : Poi saga
Tamil Nadu : Vasalakkirai, Kodip Pasali
West Bengal : Puishak, Poome

Plant with green stem


Plant with purple stem
Compound/Extract Activity Mode of Action Marker/References
Acidic polysaccharidesAntiviralOrally administered BRP-4 resulted in moderate therapeutic efficacy in the mice infected intranasally with Influenza A virus, and was shown to stimulate the production of neutralizing antibody and the secretion of mucosal IgA.IgA[1]
Gomphrenin IAnti-inflammatoryGomphrenin I, a potential anti-inflammatory agent exhibited potent inhibitory activities against endotoxin-induced NO, PGE2, and IL-1β secretion and transcriptional expression of inflammatory genes encoding iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6.NO, PGE2, IL-1β, iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6[2]
Aqueous extractAnti-inflammatoryTreatment with the aqueous extract reduced levels of blood sugar and proinflammatory cytokines and enhanced the level of IL-10 in the blood serum in diabetic animals. IL-10[3]
Major Class Metabolites (Content of bioactives: mg/100g Fresh Weight)
AmineGomphrenin I: [2]
Effect Observation DOI
Disease Formulation Reference Author TKDL
Acute diarrhoeaAtisareapathyamBhaishajya RatnavaliWritten by Govinda Dasa, Edited by Rajeshvaradutta Shastri, Translated by AmbikaduttashastriAyurveda
Information from Wealth of India Reference
  • The purpled or bruised leaves, on account of presence of mucilage are used as poultice.
  • The juice of the leaves is prescribed in cases of constipation, particularly in children and pregnant women (Burkill, I, 307) and in urticaria.
CSIR(1948).The Wealth of India, Raw materials,Vol.-I ,P.159, New Delhi, India
4.2, 04.2.1, 04.2.1.1, 04.2.1.3, 04.2.2.3, 04.2.2.5, 04.2.2.8
  • It should not be consumed with sesame seed paste.
CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat-6, Assam, India
CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur-61,Himachal Pradesh, India