Eclipta prostrate (Latin: Eclípta prostráta), also Eclipta white, Bringaraj (Eclipta álba) – a herbaceous plant, a species of the genus Eclipta of the family Compositae. A polymorphic plant with a cosmopolitan habitat, found in a variety of moist places.

Eclipta white is an annual or biennial herb with a strongly branched, open, upright, or erect, reddish, short and stiffly pubescent stem up to 1 m tall, rooted in the lower nodes.

The leaves are opposite, dark green, papery, ovate, oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, with a finely serrated edge, dulled or pointed at the apex, tapered narrowed at the base, sometimes with a short petiole, 2-10 cm long and up to 3 cm wide . On both sides of the leaf blade there are numerous thick, harsh hairs with a thickened base. Veins are distinctly expressed.

Baskets up to 1 cm in diameter, often grouped in two at the ends of the shoots and in the axils of the leaves, peduncle 0.5-7 cm long, thickened directly under the basket, stiff. Two-row wrapper, leaves 5–6 in number, ovate, external 4–6 mm long, internal ones usually shorter. Marginal flowers are false-lingual, pistillate, white, tongue 2-3 mm long. The middle flowers are numerous, tubular, whitish, bisexual, 1.5-2 mm long. There are five stamens among them, with anthers fused together, forming a ring around the pistil.

Achenes 1.5-2.5 mm long, obovate or wedge-shaped, flattened from the sides and therefore almost tetrahedral, light brown to black, warty, truncated at the apex, with short (up to 0.2 mm) whitish, easily breaking off hairs, lacking a crest.

A cosmopolitan plant found in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. The original range has not been established, according to various scientists, comes either from tropical Asia or from America.

It is found along the banks of rivers and lakes, often as weed on irrigated plantations, in particular in draftsmen.

For therapeutic purposes, the dried above-ground part of the plant (grass) is used.

Chemical composition

The herb contains nicotine and ecliptin (alkaloids), vedelo- and dimethylvedolactones, flavonoids (luteolin, apigenin), ecliptol, thiophene, β-sitoterin, α-tertienyl-methanol and methyl acetate, luteolin and dimethylvedolactone-7 D-glucosides, β-amyrin, protakechic acid, stigmasterol, α-sitosterol, amino acids, proteins, tannins, vitamin A.

Eclipta white improves the nutrition of the liver and kidneys, has hemostatic properties. Ecliptic drugs are used as a restorative, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic. Studies have shown its high activity against pathogens: bacteria, yeast, fungi, nematodes. It increases the activity of the ovaries, acts on smooth muscles.

Used in Chinese medicine as a laxative, it is also used to treat skin irritations. It is used as a vegetable.

In India, a decoction mixed with coconut oil is used to prevent hair loss and for dyeing it in blue-black.

Included in Acinorm Ultra.