Tinospora cordifolia

Botanical Name

Tinospora cardifolia (Willd.) Miers

Family

Menispermaceae

Synonyms

Menispermum cordifolium Willd.

Regional Name

English :Gulancha Tinospora, Heart leaved Mooseed, Hindi :Giloy, Gurcha, Gudichi, Sanskrit :Amrtavalli, Amrta, Madhuparni, Guducika, Guduchi, Punjabi :Gilo, Tamil :Seendal, Seendilkodi, Telugu :Thippateega, Urdu :Gilo, Assamese :Siddhilata, Amarlata, Bengali :Gulancha, Gujrati :Galac, Garo, Kannada :Amrutaballi, Kashmiri : Amrita, Gilo, Malayalam :Chittamrutu, Marathi :Gulvel, Oriya :Guluchi.

Part Used

Stem, Leaf.

Description

Guduchi is an herbaceous vine, indigenous to the tropical and sub tropical climatic areas ofIndia up to 1,200 m above sea level ,Myanmar and Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh. It grows up to 10 m. It is a large, deciduous extensively spreading climbing shrub with several elongated twining branches. Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate, long petioles up to 15 cm long, roundish, pulvinate, both at the base and apex with the basal one longer and twisted partially and half way around. Lamina broadly ovate or ovate cordate, 10–20 cm long or 8– 15 cm broad, 7 nerved and deeply cordate at base, membranous, pubescent above, whitish tomentose with a prominent reticulum beneath. Flowers unisexual, small on separate plants and appearing when plant is leafless, greenish yellow on axillary and terminal racemes. Male flowers clustered, female usually solitary. Sepals 6, free in two series of three each, the outer ones are smaller than the inner. Petals 6 free smaller than sepals, obovate and membranous. Fruits aggregate of 1-3, ovoid smooth drupelets on thick stalk with sub terminal style scars, scarlet or orange coloured.

Phytoconstituents

Guduchi contains Terpenoids (Tinosporide, Tinosporaside, Sesquiterpenetino- cordifolin), Alkaloids (Tinosporine,Mangoflorine,Tembetarine,Berberine,Tembeterine), Lignans, Steroids (Giloinsterol,ß-Sitosterol) and othersGiloin,Giloinin.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa-Tikta, Kasaya, Guna-Laghu, Virya-Usna, Karma - Balya, Rasayana, Dipana, Raktasodhana, Tridosasamaka, Sangrrahi, Jvaraghna, Dipana, Vipaka-Madhura

Ayurvedic Applications

Jvara, Kustha, Prameha, Vatarakta, Pandu, Kamala.

Medicinal Uses

It is used in Gout, Fever, Dengue, Cough,Leprosy, Diabetes, Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Joint Pain, Swelling, Cancer, Swine flu, Urinary disorders, Kidney stones, Blood disorders. Giloy is an immunomodulator. It purifies the blood, removes toxins and prevents from various skin diseases like Acne, Psoriasis and Eczema.