What is it about?
Gojihva or Gaozaban, an Ayurvedic as well as Unani medicinal plant, traditionally used to treat various disease conditions such as respiratory disorders, viral and other fevers, depression, heart and liver tonic, is one of the commercially important plants, having controversial botanical sources. At least seven species viz. Onosma bracteatum, Elephantopus scaber, Launaea sarmentosa, Arnebia benthamii, Borago officinalis, Anchusa strigosa, and Caccinia macrenthera var. glauca are being available commercially and used in various traditional as well as proprietary herbal formulations as Gojihva or Gaozaban. Gojihva, literally meaning Tongue of Cow in Sanskrit, is an Ayurvedic Medicinal plant is described with various properties such as cardiotonic, cough relieving and anti-asthmatic, treatment of fever, absorbent, anti-toxic, anti-inflammatory, wound healer, blood purifier, and diuretic. Further Gaozaban, is a Unani medicinal plant with similar meaning and having properties such as cardiotonic, brain tonic, refrigerant, demulcent, emollient, laxative, expectorant, and lithotriptic.
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Why is it important?
Gojihva of Ayurveda and Gaozaban of the Unani system of medicine are similar drugs with similar meaning, indications, and traded interchangeably in the commercial market. However, Onosma bracteatum is considered as Gojihva as per Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, whereas Borago officinalis is considered as Gaozaban in the Unani Pharmacopoeia of India. Further, according to various scholars, ancient texts of Ayurveda and commentaries thereof, Elephantopus scaber and Launaea sarmentosa are also considered as Gojihva in various regions of India. Similarly, Anchusa strigosa and Caccinia macrenthera var glauca are considered as Gaozaban by various Unani Scholars and texts. These species have also been found in commercial samples of Gaozaban. Another species especially found in North Indian Sub-continent, Arnebia benthamii is termed as Kashmiri Gaozaban and is found in market samples of Gojihva as well as Gaozaban. Thus at least seven species viz. Onosma bracteatum, Elephantopus scaber, Launaea sarmentosa, Arnebia benthamii, Borago officinalis, Anchusa strigosa and Caccinia macrenthera var. glauca are being available commercially and used in various traditional as well as proprietary herbal formulations as Gojihva or Gaozaban. Further market consumption of Gojihva and Gaozaban in India ranges from 200-500 MT annually, combined of all species, making them commercially important species. Further, only two species namely B. officinalis and E. scaber have been relatively explored in depth regarding their phytochemical profile. Other botanical sources have not yet been investigated thoroughly for phytochemical composition and very few compounds have been reported from them. Thus, there are chances of discovering novel chemical moieties from these unexplored botanical sources. This will further help to generate phytochemical profiles of the remaining five species. Additionally, Gojihva and Gaozaban have been indicated in disease conditions related to hepatoprotective and renal disorders in ancient texts of Ayurveda as well as Unani system. Still no constituents have been reported from majority of species with activity related to hepatic and renal diseases. In order to assure the efficacy of Ayurveda plants, a scientific study is essential exploring its full strength. Evaluation of plant materials and their derived products has always been key area in the fields of discovery of Phytopharmaceuticals. Humongous research work in the area of authentication of correct plant source has been carried out to provide means of differentiation among many controversial available plants sources. These include the methods developed using morphological, histological, physicochemical and toxicological parameters. However, with changing times and technological advancement, evaluation methods have seen a drastic change. Previously it was sufficient to authenticate the plant material by comparison with a standard botanical description or monograph whereas in recent requirements detection of adulterants and utilization of the phytoconstituents as marker compounds for standardization is being considered essential. Thus, this comprehensive review article on one of the species (O. bracteata) of the controversial drug "Gojihva" was compiled to distinguish it from the other species.
Perspectives
Controversial Drugs in Ayurveda – A Quality Concern In India, the health care needs and diseases were noted in ancient literature like ‘RigVeda’ and ‘Atharva-Veda’ by rishis (saints) with selfless human service intention. With the combination of all these ancient literature, a fifth Veda ‘Ayur Veda’ (Ayush – Life and Veda - knowledge in Sanskrit) evolved. Ayurveda books, being mostly written in Sanskrit, a dead language as of now, describes all the plants through morphological characters, organoleptic properties, and therapeutic indications. The interpretation of Sanskrit language and vague description of plants has led to the use of various species for the same plant resulting in ambiguity in many cases. Various factors responsible for the controversies in the plants are varying interpretations by scholars, vague descriptions, and polynomial nomenclature used in Ayurvedic literature, single synonyms used for multiple plants, use of vernacular names, regional variations, similar species having the same descriptions, collection of plant material by semi-skilled or unskilled persons, substitution and adulteration in plant-based formulations due to increased demand and reduced availability, etc. This has led to differences in the therapeutic efficacy of the drug mentioned in Ayurveda leading to a major quality concern area. Hence it is the need of the hour to generate parameters of identification as well as differentiation among different plant sources having a similar name.
Devang Pandya
Intervein Research Labs Pvt. Ltd.
Controversial Drugs in Ayurveda – A Quality Concern In India, the health care needs and diseases were noted in ancient literature like ‘RigVeda’ and ‘Atharva-Veda’ by rishis (saints) with selfless human service intention. With the combination of all these ancient literature, a fifth Veda ‘Ayur Veda’ (Ayush – Life and Veda - knowledge in Sanskrit) evolved. Ayurveda books, being mostly written in Sanskrit, a dead language as of now, describes all the plants through morphological characters, organoleptic properties, and therapeutic indications. The interpretation of Sanskrit language and vague description of plants has led to the use of various species for the same plant resulting in ambiguity in many cases. Various factors responsible for the controversies in the plants are varying interpretations by scholars, vague descriptions, and polynomial nomenclature used in Ayurvedic literature, single synonyms used for multiple plants, use of vernacular names, regional variations, similar species having the same descriptions, collection of plant material by semi-skilled or unskilled persons, substitution and adulteration in plant-based formulations due to increased demand and reduced availability, etc. This has led to differences in the therapeutic efficacy of the drug mentioned in Ayurveda leading to a major quality concern area. Hence it is the need of the hour to generate parameters of identification as well as differentiation among different plant sources having a similar name.
Udyakumar Vegad
Gujarat Technological University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A Comprehensive Review on Onosma bracteata Wall.: A Controversial
Medicinal Herb in Ayurveda, Current Traditional Medicine, August 2023, Bentham Science Publishers,
DOI: 10.2174/2215083808666220816105019.
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