The False Daisy (aka. Bhringaraj; Eclipta prostrata) is a small perennial herb in the Asteraceae family originally from the Americas but now found widespread globally bearing small white flower heads. It typically occupies wet, muddy habitats such as marsh edges, lake shores, and riverbanks in warm temperate to tropical regions.
The young aerial parts and leaves are sometimes eaten as a pot-herb or vegetable, providing a bitter, tonic green in some Asian and African food traditions, while the whole plant is also used as fodder for livestock. The intense green-black pigment of the plant has also been used traditionally as a natural hair dye component, and in some regions the fresh juice is used as a simple body or fabric stain.
➡️ In Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, The False Daisy is used as a rejuvenative and liver tonic for conditions such as jaundice, hepatitis, splenic enlargement, and general hepatic dysfunction. The whole plant, leaf juice, and root decoctions are used for respiratory complaints (asthma, bronchitis), skin diseases, wounds, and hemorrhagic conditions, as well as for toothache and gum strengthening. It is also widely employed as a hair remedy to prevent hair loss and premature greying, often as medicated oils or pastes applied to the scalp.
Through scientific investigation, extracts and constituents of The False Daisy have been found to exhibit hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer/cytotoxic, neuroprotective, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, hair growth–promoting, and wound-healing activities.
One study demonstrated that ethanol extracts of The False Daisy containing coumestans such as wedelolactone induced apoptosis in cancer cell lines by disrupting mitochondrial membrane potential and modulating heat shock protein 60 and anti-apoptotic protein XIAP.