Andrographis Paniculata, commonly known as the “King of Bitters,” is an important medicinal plant in both Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine for treating various ailments, is a shrub that is found throughout India and other Asian countries and is sometimes called Indian Echinacea. It belongs to the family Acanthaceae.

Its constituents include diterpenoid lactones (Andrographolides), paniculides, farnesols, and flavonoids. Diterpenoid lactones are the commonest terpenoid compounds isolated from Andrographis Paniculata. Diterpenoids are distributed in and have been isolated from the aerial parts and roots of this plant. Of the diterpenoids that have been identified and isolated from Andrographis Paniculata, Andrographolide is the most prominent in occurrence and quantity. Andrographolide has a very bitter taste, and it is colourless and crystalline in appearance.

It is an important constituent of at least 26 Ayurvedic formulas in Indian pharmacopoeia. Its prominent biological activities include Anti-inflammatory, Analgesic, Antioxidant, Anticancer, Hepatoprotective, Immunomodulatory, Antiviral, Antimicrobial, Antimalarial, Antihyperglycemic, Anti-platelet, and Antidiarrheal.