Shankhapushpi, also known as Convolvulus pluricaulis, is an Ayurvedic preparation used in India as a mental booster. Shankhapushpi is a brain tonic used to treat nervous conditions, insomnia, memory loss and both mental and physical fatigue. The tonic has been used in India over the centuries due to a chemical composition that is said to help the brain to calm down and relieve tension helping focus and allowing it also to be used for insomnia. In the Ayurvedic preparation of shankhapushpi, the entire plant is used to create medicinal remedies. No studies have been done to test the allegations that shankhapushpi helps brain function. A trial was done on the use of shankhapushpi for gastric ulcers and it found that augmentation of mucosal defensive factors helped reduce ulcers. Following unexpected loss of seizure control and reduction in plasma phenytoin levels was noticed in two patients taking Shankhapushpi researchers studied these effects in a rat study. Shankhapushpi showed significant anti-epileptic activity compared to placebo but will need to undergo further investigation. Claims have also been made that a chemical composition containing an ethanol formula extracted from the plant helps in reducing total serum cholesterol, but no trials have been done to test this theory.