Description
Clitoria ternatea (Clitoria Blue)
Clitoria ternatea is also called butterfly pea, blue pea, Cordofan pea and Asian pigeonwings
The Plant species belongs to the family called Fabaceae.
For hundreds of years it has been used as a memory enhancer, nootropic, antistress, anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, tranquilizing and sedative agent in the in the traditional Ayurvedic medicine.
In traditional Chinese medicine, due to its similarity to the female body part, this plant has been ascribed properties affecting the same, it has been traditionally used to treat sexual ailments, like infertility and gonorrhea and to control menstrual discharge. This practice aligns with an ancient belief recorded in the Doctrine of Signatures.
It was also tested on animals and it showed activities of anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant and anti-stress. The active constituents include resins, tannins, starch, taraxerone and taraxerol.