Back to Nature-southindian Herbals and Their Medicinal Uses

BACK TO NATURE-SOUTHINDIAN HERBALS AND THEIR MEDICINAL USES

INTRODUCTION

Man has been using plants as medicine from time immemorial. All major civilization in the past had developed their own system of medicine, mainly based on herbs of all such system perhaps most comprehensive and scientific is that of ancient India, known as Ayurvedic development during the Vedic period by our sages and seers. They had identified hundreds and hundreds of plant species capable of functioning as medicine in the human body and curing its maladies.

Green medicine have been proved to be highly effective and a successful mode of therapy to cure various diseases caused by microorganisms. Present, 300 plants extracts and tinctures are utilized in modern medicine. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that about 90 percent of people in the world rely on traditional medicine primary health needs chemical investigation and biological screening of about 300 wild tribal medicinal plants have been carried out by many researchers.

A survey indicates that 393 medicinal plant species are used in traditional formulations and are sold in commercial outlets of the 393 species distributed in 103 families; Leguminosae emerges as the largest family of Pharmacological importance with a total of 41 medicinal Plants used in the traditional formulations. Asteraceae is the second family with respect to ingredients of traditional formulations (19 species). Zingiberaceae and Apiaceae have 13 species each, followed by Euphorbiaceae with 12 species that one used in various formulations.

Herbs form a major segment of medicinal plants used in traditional formulations with a total of 158 species. Trees and shrubs from the next dominant group with 95 and 80 species used in the formulation of drug respectively.

Based on the factual information, few medicinal Plants were selected for gain the knowledge of herbs which enrich your health under the followings.

Holy Plants

S.No

Botanical Name

Family

Common Name

Preparation Method of the Medicine, Uses

1.

Ocimum sanctum

Laminaceae

Tulasi

Take 10 fresh leaves daily which cures the cold and develop your immunity power.

2.

Aegle marmelos

Rutaceae

Vilvam

Shade dry the leaves and power. Powder + 5 peppers mixed and add. Take with milk in empty stomach. It will cure the Asthma.

3.

Ficus religiosa

Moraceae

Arasu

Shades dry the young leaves and power it. Take twice daily with Hot water. This cures the uterus related problems.

4.

Azadirachta indica

Meliaceae

Vembu

The leaf, seed oil is used as a medicine. Antiviral Tree.

5.

Cynodon datylon

Poaceae

Arugu

Take 150 gm of fresh leaves, make it juice and take it daily. Which purify the blood and cool your body temperature

6.

Leucas aspera

Laminaceae

Thumbai

Take 150 gm of these flowers Freshly and fry with ghee. Take weekly once which cures the cold.

7.

Tabernaemontana Coronaria

Apocynaceae

Nanthiyar- -vattam

The flower juice cures the eye problems. Particularly for the reddish eye

8.

Ficus bengalensis

Moraceae

Àlamaram

Shade dries the young leaves, powder it. Take twice daily, with hot water which cures the uterus related problems

9.

Santalum album

-

Santhanum

Anti heat agent which equalize your body temperature.

10.

Ealeocarpus tuberculatus

Elaecocarpaceae

Ruthratsam

Anti – Radiation Effect

Memory Plus

S.No

Botanical Name

Family and Common name

Uses

1.

Hydrocotyle asiatica

Apiaceae

vallarai

Memory generator

2.

Acthyranthus aspera

Amarantaceae Naiyooruvi

Extra memory creator

Brain Growth and Development

S.No

Family

Botanical name

Common Name

Preparation method of medicine and uses

1.

Rutaceae

Aegle marmelos

Vilvum

Take the fruit twice in a month which will help to develop your brain.

2.

Perkankai

Dry the vegetable and powder it. Make it decoction and take it once in a week which provide stamina (or) power to the brain.

3.

Phyllanthus embilica

Nelli

Take one Nelli daily which helps the brain function. 

4.

Coccus nueifera 

Coconut

6-10 pieces of coconut in fresh form take daily. It will cure the wounds which present in the brain.

5

Amarantaceae

Achyranthus aspera

Naioruvi

Take leaves monthly ones in form of Juice which helps with Nervous system of the brain.  It also cure the brine nervous disorder 

For Health and Development

S.No

Diseases

Botanical name and common name

Paration of the medicine

1

Sugar

Gymnema sylvestre

Sarkaraikolli

The leaves were shade dried and powdered. The powder was taken half teaspoon daily morning in empty stomach, with milk or buttermilk.

2

Blood pressure

Rauwolfia sarpentina

Sarpaganthi

The leaves were shade dried and powdered. The powder was taken half teaspoon daily morning with butter milk after food

3

Heart

Nelumbium speciosum

thamarai

The flowers petals are shade dried and powdered and was used to make decoction and it was taken twice in a day.

Herbs for common diseases

S.NO

DISEASES

PLANTS

1

Cold

Ocimum santum       

Solanum trilobatum        

Leucas aspera           

2

Cough

Adatoda vasica              

Vitex negundo            

Abies webbiana          

Oldanlandia umbellate          

3

Digestion

Zingiber officinalis       

Cissus quadrangularis 

Cuminum cyminum  

4

Gas trouble

Cuminum cyminum        

Ferula asafetida       

Cissus quadrangularis 

5

Wound healing

Tridax procubens      

Acalypha indica   

6

Teeth ache

Zingiber officinalis          

Jussiaea suffruticosa   

Pisidium gaujava         

7

Rheumatism

Delonix regia     

Dolichos biflorus   

8

Reduce the body heat

Aloe vera  

Euphorbia thymifolia 

9

To burn the fat

Solanum malaginella   

Dolichos biflorus 

10

Head ache

Brassica nigra 

Zingiber officinalis

 Conclusion

         Indian system of medicine particularly Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani have contributed to development of modern medicine and are still practiced

          To treat and benefit a large number of patients. Even the world health organization in its meeting held in 1980 considered that for certain diseases like peptic ulcer, diabetes, high blood pressure, a stone in the kidney and infective jaundice, no satisfactory treatment is available in modern system of medicine and suggested deeper study of indigenous system of medicine.