Amrita: The ancient herb with modern healing potential and safety features
- Journal of Microbiology & Experimentation
-
Charu Gupta
Abstract
Tinospora cordifolia Willd commonly known, as “Amrita” or “Guduchi”, is a large
deciduous, extensively spreading climbing shrub with several coiling branches, a dioecious
medicinal herb. It is designated as Rasayana in Ayurveda as it enhances general body
resistance and promotes longevity, an anti-stress, adaptogen, and a potential plant for
providing resistance against infections. The plant is well known as Indian bitter and is
generally prescribed for fever, diabetes, dyspepsia, jaundice, urinary problems, skin
diseases, gastrointestinal diseases including dyspepsia, flatulence, gastritis, jaundice,
chronic diarrhea and dysentery, splenomegaly, and hemorrhoids. The herb has been
reported to be significant for the management of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and the
treatment of leprosy, helminthiasis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Some of the most significant
formulations in which Guduchi is prime ingredient are Guduchyadi churn, Guduchi taila,
Dashmoolarishtha, Sanjivani vati, Punchnimba churana, Guduchi ghrita, Amritaguggulu,
Amritashtaka churna, Kantakari avaleha, Chyavanaprasha, Guduchi sattva, Brihat guduchi
taila, Stanyashodhana kashaya churana. The most dominant constituents in guduchi include
terpenoids, alkaloids, tannins, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, saponins, lignans, steroids,
C6
-C3 derivatives and polysaccharides along with other components. There are no adverse
effects of any kind reported so far as prescribed under reasonable dose application. It has
promising potential as a tonic in infants and stimulates immunity in children besides
facilitating growth. Due to the presence of immense medicinal properties, this plant has
been over-exploited by pharmaceutical companies and folk people for traditional remedies.
This in turn has led to the acute scarcity of this plant. Therefore, it is of prime importance
and urgent need for its conservation.
Keywords
amrita, adaptogen, anti-stress, immunomodulator, rasayana, Tinospora cordifolia
