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Ethnobotanical Leaflets 10: 104-108. 2006.
Ashtavarga- Rare Medicinal Plants
Amrit Pal Singh
Dr Amrit Pal Singh, MD (Alternative Medicine), Herbal Consultant. Ind Swift Ltd, Chandigarh. Address for correspondence: Amrit Pal Singh House No.2101, Phase-7 Mohali-160062 Email:
Issued 3 April 2006
ABSTRACT
Ashtavarga is important ingredient of various classical Ayurvedic formulations like Chavyanprasha. Ashtavarga has been assigned various medicinal properties by ancient Materia Medica dealing with Ayurveda. Ashtavarga is subject of rigorous botanical research. Although work has been done on identification of medicinal plants mentioned under Ashtavarga, still lot is to be done to identify the true representatives. Taking in to consideration the medicinal properties of these medicinal plants, phytochemical and pharmacological investigations are the need of the hour to scientifically validate the claims. The article discusses the properties of the eighth drugs mentioned under Ashtavarga. (Keywords: Ashtavarga, Ayurveda, medicinal plants)
Introduction Ayurvedic Pharmacy is an interdisciplinary subject. Ayurvedic physicians use medicinal plants, minerals, stones and metals in preparing standard formulations. Precisely speaking, Ayurvedic formulations are divided into following categories:
1. Single herb 2. Polyherbal 3. Polymineral 4. Herbo-mineral or minero-herbal.
Ashtavarga come under polyherbal formulations. Ashta means eight and varga means group. When we talk about pharmacological basis of classification of Ayurvedic drugs, they are classified according to their medicinal properties. As an instance Ashtavarga drugs have Jeevaniya and Vayasthapana properties. Although it is difficult to compare these properties with modern pharmacological terms however these can be roughly compared with nutritive and anti-ageing effects. *
Ingredients of Ashtavarga
1. Jeevaka 2. Rishbhaka 3. Meda 4. Mahameda 5. Kakoli 6. Kshira-kakoli 7. Riddhi 8. Vriddhi
Jeevaka (Malaxis acuminta D.Don syn. Microstylis wallichii Lindl syn. Malaxis wallichii Deb.) Synonyms: Chirnjivi, Dirghayu, Harsanga, Ksveda, Kurchashira, Pranda, Shringaka and Svadu. Family: Orchideaceae. Botany: Malaxis acuminta is a terrestrial, robust herb, up to 25 cm high. Stem tending to be psuedobulbous at base. Leaves 3-5, elliptic acuminate, sheathing at base. Flower deep pink in crowded, terminal dense to lax racemes, bracts deflexed. Ayurvedic dynamics: Sweet in taste, cold in potency, pacifies vata and aggravates kapha. Actions: Cooling, febrifuge and spermopiotic. Therapeutics: Bleeding diathesis, burning sensation, fever and phthisis.
Rishbhaka (Microstylis muscifera Ridley) Synonyms: Bandhura, Dheera, Durdhara, Gopati.Indraksa, Kakuda, Matrika, Vishani, Vrisha and Vrishnabha, Family: Orchideaceae. Ayurvedic dynamics: Sweet in taste, cold in potency, pacifies vata and aggravates kapha. Actions: Cooling, febrifuge and spermopiotic. Therapeutics: Bleeding diathesis, burning sensation, fever and phthisis.
Meda (Polygonatum verticillatum (L.) All. syn. Convallaria verticillata L. syn Evallaria verticillata Necker) Synonyms: Dhara, Manichhidra and Shalyaparni English name: Whorled Solomon's seal Family: Liliaceae. Botany: Polygonatum verticillatum is a perennial growing to 1.2m by 0.45m. The leaves four to eight in a whorl; the flowers, two to three in a bunch in the axils of the leaves, are greenish-white. The fruits are red when ripe, and remain hanging after the leaves have fallen. The flowers are hermaphrodite. Phytochemistry: Work done in Ukraine has reported presence of lectins. Ayurvedic dynamics: Sweet in taste, cold in potency, pacifies vata and pitta. Actions: Cooling and spermopiotic. Therapeutics: Fever, burning sensation and phthisis.
Mahameda (Polygonatum cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle) Synonyms: Devamani and Vasuchhidra. English name: Kings Solomon's seal Family: Liliaceae. Botany: Whorls of delicate leaves and nodding little lilac bells on slender stems to 45cm. Shoots erupt from creeping rhizomes so late in the spring you fear something's wrong, and flower within a fortnight. Phytochemistry: Steroidal saponins and polysaccharides Ayurvedic dynamics: Sweet in taste, pacifies pitta and aggravates kapha. Actions: Cooling, febrifuge and spermopiotic. James Duke in his work on medicinal plants of China has reported cardio tonic, carminative; sialagogue, stimulant and tonic properties of Polygonatum verticillatum. The plant is used in Tibet system of medicine also. Therapeutics: Burning sensation and fever. In Tibet Polygonum cirrhifolium is used for loss of vigor, pain in kidneys and hips, swelling and fullness in the abdominal region, accumulation of fluids in bone joints, skin eruptions, and bronchitis. Pharmacological investigations: Investigations in China has reported hypoglycemic, hypotensive; antibacterial and antifungal effects of Polygonum cirrhifolium.
Kakoli (Roscoea procera Wall. formerly Roscoea purpurea or Fritillaria roylei Hook.f) Synonyms: Dhawanksholika, Karnika, Ksheera, Madhura, Shukla, Svadumansi, Vayasoli and Vaysasha. Family: Zingiberaceae. Botany: Roscoea purpurea is a much larger and lusher plant, forming clumps of thick, fleshy leaves from where arise fat stems topped by one or two two-tone purple hooded flowers in summer. Ayurvedic dynamics: Sweet in taste, cold in potency, pacifies vata and pitta. Actions: Cooling and spermopiotic. Therapeutics: Fever, burning sensation and phthisis.
Fritillaria roylei Common name: Himalayan fritillary. Family: Liliaceae. Botany: Bulb growing to 0.6m. The flowers are hermaphrodite Phytochemistry: Alkaloids: peimine, peiminine, peimisine, peimiphine, peimidine and peimitidine, neutral principle: propeimin and sterol. Ayurvedic dynamics: Sweet in taste, cold in potency, pacifies vata and pitta. Actions: Cooling and spermopiotic. Usher. G. has reported antiasthmatic, antirheumatic, febrifuge, galactogogue, haemostatic, ophthalmic and oxytocic properties of Fritillaria roylei. Therapeutics: Fever, burning sensation and phthisis.
Kshirakakoli (Lilium polphyllum D.Don) Synonyms: Kshiramadhura, Kshiravishanika, Kshirshkula, Payasvani, Vayastha and Veera Family: Liliaceae. English name: White lily. Botany: Leaves are scaly. The plant originates from bulbs. Ayurvedic dynamics: Sweet in taste, cold in potency, pacifies vata and pitta. Actions: Cooling and spermopiotic. Therapeutics: Fever, burning sensation and phthisis.
Riddhi (Habenaria edgeworthii H.f.) Synonyms: Lakshmi, Mangala, Rathanga, Rishisrista, Saravajanpriya, Siddhi, Sukha, Vasu and Yuga. Family: Orchidaceae. Ayurvedic dynamics: Sweet in taste and pacifies vata and pitta but aggravates kapha. Actions: Cooling and spermopiotic. Therapeutics: Diseases of the blood.
Vriddhi (Habenaria intermedia D.Don syn. Habenaria arietina H.f.) Synonyms: Lakshmi, Mangala, Rathanga, Rishisrista, Saravajanpriya, Siddhi, Sukha, Vasu and Yuga .Family: Orchidaceae. Ayurvedic dynamics: Sweet in taste and pacifies vata and pitta but aggravates kapha. Actions: Cooling and spermopiotic. Therapeutics: Diseases of the blood.
Conclusion Ashtavarga is significant constituent of Ayurvedic pharmacy. The compound formulation and its ingredients alone have various medicinal effects. Based on the properties described in ancient texts, Ashtavarga seems to have antioxidant and anti ageing effects. Before pharmacological investigations can be further initiated it is important to conduct botanical and phytochemical investigations.
Note: Ayurvedic properties of drugs have been extracted from Dhanwantri Nighantu. * Views expressed in this article are hypothetical. We do not tend to promote or rebuke other works done on Ashtavarga. The authors are not responsible for proposed botanical names of the drugs.
Literature Cited Anonymous. 1998. Indian Herbal Pharmacopoeia Volume 1. Worli, Mumbai: Indian Drug Manufacturers Association.
Antoniuk VO. 1993. Purification and properties of lectins of Polygonatum multiflorum [L.] All. and Polygonatum verticillatum [L.] All. Ukr Biokhim Zh. 65(1):41-8.
Duke. JA, Ayensu. E S. 1985. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc.
Kapoor LD. 1990. CRC Handbook of Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Nadkarni K (1976), Indian Materia Medica vol 1, Bombay, India: Popular Prakashan.
Tewari VP, KC Tewari, BBL Yadava 1976. Study of Roscoea procera Wall. (kakoli, kseerkakoli of astavarga), Quarterly Journal of Crude Drug Research 14, 2, 69-70.
Usher G. 1974. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. (Publisher not listed).
Yadav, KC, Sharma A, Tiwari RK, Shanker K. Trivedi VP. 2003. Standardisation and quality control of Rshabhak (Microstylis wallichii Lindl.) with special reference to TLC pattern. National Symposium on Emerging Trends in Indian Medicinal Plants, Lucknow, p. 74(7-O/4), 10-12.
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