Guduci is one of the most versatile rejuvenative herbs. It works on all the tissue elements in the body. The Sanskrit name guduci means the one, which protects the body. It is also called as amrta or nectar, as it is extremely useful in strengthening the immune system of the body and keeping the functions of its various organs in harmony. It possesses various synonyms like jvaranasi febrifuge, vayastha – promotes longevity, rasayan- a rejuvenative, tikta – bitter etc. Maharsi Caraka has categorized it as stanya sodhana – relieve burning sensation of the skin, trptighna – anti saturative, vayah sthapana – promote longevity and as medhya nervine tonic. Susurta has mentioned it as sukra sodhana – sperm purifier. Sarngadhara has classified it as samsamana – pacifier and rasayana – a rejuvenator. It possesses properties like jvaraghna – antipyretic, kamala nasaka – cures jaundice, amavataghna – mitigates gout, gandamala nasaka – alleviates glandular swellings. Guduci is recommended as a drug of the choice in the treatment of gout.

Guduci grows throughout India in deciduous as well as dry forests. It is said to climb over the highest trees, and to throw out aerial roots which reach the length of 30 feet. It is a perennial deciduous twiner with succulent stem and papery bark. The flowers are yellow, axillary, long-stalked racemes. The fruit of 3 shortly stalked, pea-sized, subglobose drupes, red in colour. The plant flowers in June and fruiting occurs in November.

Botanically it is named as Tinospora cordifolia and belongs to family Menispermaceae. Different constituents that it includes are bitter principles. A glucoside, alkaloida etc. The glycoside – giloin and a non-glucoside – gilenin and gilosterol have been found. The alkakoid tinosporin, tinosporic acid and tinosporol have been identified in the leaves. Tinosporidine and sitosterol isolated from stem, cordifol, heptacosanol and octacosonal from leaves a new furanoid diterpene – tinosporide – isolated from stems and its structure determined.

Properties

Guduci is bitter, pungent and astringent in taste, sweet in the post digestive effect and hot in potency. It alleviates all the dosas. It possesses light and oily attributes. It has a special potency as an anti-toxin.

Uses

The root, stem, leaves and sattva (starch) of guduci are used for medicinal purpose, externally; the medicated oil of the plant is effectively used to reduce the pain and oedema, in gout and skin diseases. In filariasis, the paste of guduci, karuka, sunthi, devadara and vidanga works well when applied externally.

Internally, guduci is one of the most effective rasayanas- rejuvenatives. It works well on all the seven dhatus tissues and keeps the systems in balance. The rasayana accords longevity, enhances memory, improves health, and bestows youth, betters complexion, voice, energy and luster of the skin. In the diseases due to vata dosa it is given with ghrta, in pitta dosa with sugar and kapha dosa with honey. It is immensely helpful in the digestive ailments like hyperacidity, colitis, worm infestations, and loss of appetite, abdominal pain, excessive thirst, vomiting and liver disorders like hepatitis.

Guduci is one of the best bitter tonics useful in fevers especially of pitta origin. It alleviates bodyheat, thirst, burning sensation to the skin and vomiting if any, due to pitta. In tubercular fever, it combines well with ativisa for decoction. The juices of guduci, amalaki and haridra act synergistically in urinary problems. In hepatitis, the fresh juice of guduci given with rock candy, hastens the recovery. It particularly helps in diseases like raktapitta, anaemia, cardiac debility, diabetes, sexual debility and splenic disorders, due to vitiation of pitta.

Guduci is the drug of choice amongst all the remedies in treating gout vatarakta. The decoction of guduci and sunthi is a very effective combination for the treatment of gout and rheumatic disorders. Its medicinal ghee with kantakari is beneficial in cough Guduci juice works well with cow’s milk or lodhra in leucorrhea and with cumin seeds in burning sensation due to pitta.

The starch (sattva) of guduci is traditionally used as a household remedy, for chronic fever, to alleviate it as well as to reduce burning sensation and to increase the energy and appetite. It is beneficial in tuberculosis and general debility also. Guduci is recommended in the skin diseases and its decoction with nimba and vasa effectively relieves the itching and oozing. It also works well in the cutaneous rashes and condylomata, in the secondary stage of syphilis. Guduci should be always used fresh for good results and the twiner which grows on nimba tree is said to have better results.

Ayurvedic Preparations

• Guduci sattva
• Amrtarista
• Amrta guggula
• Guducyadi kasaya
• Guducyadi taila
• Guducyadi curna etc.

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