ABSTRACT
The state Uttarakhand is rich with floral and faunal diversity including plants used by local inhabitance to cure health problems. Himalayan region always has been the treasure of herbs from ancient time. Himalayan herbs are highest in quality and potency. There are numbers of side effect are noted using allopathic medicines which leads towards reuse of medicinal plants available locally. Keeping this in view an attempt has been made to enumerate the common medicinal plants used in traditional therapeutic system of Uttarakhand, India. Results reveal that 29 plant species are used for primary healthcare. Purnagiri hills located in Champavat district of Uttarakhand is reservoir for a large number of medicinal herbs during the field survey large number of medicinal plants like Adina cordifolia (Roxb.) Hook. (Rubiaceae), Asparagus adscendence Roxb. (Liliaceae), Artemesia nilgirica (Clarke) Pamp. (Asteraceae), Berberis aristata DC. (Berberiridaceae), Colebrookea oppositefolia Sm. (Lamiaceae), Elephantopus scaber L (Asreraceae), Pinus longifolia Roxb. (Pinaceae), Tamarix gallica L. (Tamaraceae), Urtica dioica L. (Urtecaceae) and many more with their use in local health traditions by local habitants were recorded. One of the serious challenges to biodiversity and ecological functioning is climate change. Climate change and global warming are well known issue that has had an impact on the biodiversity. Second thing over exploitation of Himalayan forest leads these valuable herbs in endangered category. Some of the plants recorded are critically endangered and rare. We have to pay attention towards the conservation, cultivation of these herbs.
ABSTRACT
Berberis aristata, generally known as Daruharidra because of yellow coloured wood, belongs to the family Berberidaceae. Approximately 500 species of genus Berberis are found Worldwide. 77 species of Berberis reported in India, 21 species are present in Himachal Pradesh in which Berberis aristata, Berberis asiatica and Berberis lycium are more common. B. aristata has been accepted as an official source for classical drug Daruharidra. It is deciduous, thorny shrub attaining a height of about 6-12 feet, found at the altitude of 6000 to 10,000 feet in Himalayan range, also found in Neelgiri hills, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Afganistan, Iran. Therapeutically used part of the plant is root bark. The major chemical constituents of B. aristata are alkaloids and Berberine is one of the important alkaloids in it. Berberine-containing plants are used as food supplements subject to certain restrictive conditions of use. It is a red listed endemic medicinal plant species of conservational concern and has become dominantly important in current years due to its scarcity and increased demand. Species, such as B. lycium Royle. and B. chitria Lindl. are also generally used in Ayurveda formulations for therapeutic purposes and for the preparation of Rasanjana, crude concentrated extract prepared from the roots and stem bark. It is use to cure several ailments, including conjunctivitis, bleeding piles, ulcers, jaundice, hepatosplenomegaly. However, many other plants belonging to different genera like Cosinium fenestratum (Gaertn.) Coleb and Morinda umbellate have been recommended as substitutes for Daruharidra and traded in the market in its name. Present paper is an effort towards establishment of therapeutic potential of Daruharidra through reverse pharmacology and measures for its in-situ conservation.
ABSTRACT
Plants have been the main source of therapeutic agents in world’s most ancient system of medicine, the Ayurveda. Nimb (also known as Margosa tree) is one of the most commonly used plants in Ayurveda for the management of a large number of ailments. It is a member of the Meliaceae family, found commonly in India, Africa and America. Nimb has been used exclusively by mankind to treat various diseases since even before the availability of manuscripts that recorded the beginning of history. Nimb is well described in Charak Samhita, Sushrut Samhita, Ashtang Hridayam, Chikitsa grantha and Nighantus. It is having Laghu guna, Tikta kashaya rasa, Sheeta virya and Katu vipaka, due to which it has been considered as Kapha-pitta shamaka. Acharya Bhav Mishra considers it Tridosh Shamak. It is traditionally used in the treatment of various ailment i.e., Krimi, Kushtha, Jwara, Kandu, Shopha and many more. All the parts of the plant have been used in the preparation of therapeutic formulations. Nimb contains various bioactive compounds like Nimbinin and Nimbidin, due to which it shows antibiotic, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory, antihelmenthic, antifungal, diuretic, antihistaminic, nematicidal and spermicidal properties and other biological activities. Present paper is an effort to validate pharmacological properties of Nimb described in Ayurveda through reverse pharmacology.
ABSTRACT
Nature has gifted widest range of plant diversity to India for the welfare of mankind. Plants have been utilized for various purposes by the human beings since the time immemorial. Plants have been the basic source for therapeutic preparation in the indigenous system of medicine, the Ayurveda. With the recent changes in the life style of human being, over exploitation of natural resources has put a large number of plant species to the verge of extinction. Euphorbia fusiformis Buch. -Ham. ex D. Don (Euphorbiaceae), botanical source for the classical drug Adhoguda is one among plant species threatened with the extinction (endangered). It is a plant having potential pharmacological properties and actions. Traditionally, tribal communities have been using this plant in ethnomedicine to treat headache, arthritis, gout, paralysis, diarrhoea, abdominal diseases, abdominal tumour, liver disorders, urinary stones, chronic wounds, cracks, skin disease, eczema and poor lactation, scorpion and snake bites and plant latex as an antidote. E. fusiformis is reported to possess variety of pharmacological activities like antioxidant, antifungal, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, antinociceptive and galactagogue. Also, the plant has been evaluated for its use in female infertility. Present paper is an attempt to review therapeutic potential of this underexplored drug E. fusiformis.