Amrita: The ancient herb with modern healing potential and safety features

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.