Vol. 114 • December 201740 THE ANTISEPTIC

alternative medicine

introduction:

A poison in a small dose is a medicine, and a medicine in a large dose is a poison. Plants are the prime source of medicine in Ayurveda. Several compounds have been isolated from medicinal plants and introduced for the service of mankind; however most of these medicines have been withdrawn due to their toxicity or side-effects.1,2,3 Poisonous/toxic plants are categorized as viṣa (poison) and upaviṣa (toxic but not lethal for human health) in Ayurvedic texts4 and also listed in the schedule-E of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940. some of the poisonous plants are as follows: Poisonous plants and their botanical names:

Sanskrit name botanical name/familyAhipena Papaver somniferum Linn./ PapavaraceaeArka Calotropis gigantea Linn./ AsclepiadaceaeBhallataka Semecarpus anacardium Linn./ AnacardaceaeBhanga Cannabis sativa Linn./ CannabaceaeDanti Baliospermum monatanum Muell./ EuphorbiaceaeDhatura Datura metel Linn./SolanaceaeGunja Abrus precatorius Linn./ FabaceaeJayapala Croton tiglium Linn./ EuphorbiaceaeKaraveera Nerium indicum Mill./ ApocynaceaeLangali Gloriosa superba Linn./ LiliaceaeParasika Yavani Hyosymus niger Linn./ SolanaceaeSnuhi Euphorbia neriifolia Linn./ EuphorbiaceaeVatsanabha Acontium ferox Wall./ RanunculaceaeVishamushti Strychnos nux-vomica Linn./ Loganiaceae

Poison as Medicine? A ReviewSai Laxmi mathukumaLLi, Naga kaNyakadevi PaLadugu

Dr. Sai Laxmi Mathukumalli,Dr. Naga Kanyakadevi Paladugu,Max Institute of Pharmaceutical sciences, khammam, Telangana - 507 002.

Specially Contributed to "The Antiseptic" Vol. 114 No. 12 & P : 40 - 41

It is cited in the treatises of Ayurveda that by the used of proper method of processing, viṣa (poison) can be converted into amṛta (nectar) and on other hand on adoption of inappropriate methods, nontoxic materials become a toxic.5 this minimizes of side effects and improving the potency/therapeutic efficacy of the purified drugs.6 Thus Shodhana process is the only bridge between poison and medicine.

Various media are used in ayurveda for purification process. Some of the commonly used purification processes, media and the respective plant are given as follows:

Plant Methods of purification

Vatsanabha Boiling in goats milk/cow urine

Guggulu Boiling in triphala kvatha

Dhattura Boiling in cow milk/ urine

Kupilu Boiling in cow milk/ urine/ kunji

Bhanga Boiling in babbula/ cow ghee

Successes of purification processes are evidenced in some of the animal studies. For example the of antispasmodic activity of different guggul was evaluated using different shodhan process.7 in another study it was found that The recent research studies showed that, the Aconitine % before Gomutra shodhana is 0.113 and Aconitine % after Gomutra Shodhana is 0.089. This value shows how much the Aconitine % is decreased after shodana by using cow’s urine as media.8

Safety is a fundamental principle in the provision of herbal medicines and herbal products for health care, and a critical component of quality control.

The formulations which contain the poisonous medicinal plants may cause some adverse effect if it is not processed properly. Adverse effects of the poisonous medicinal plants are mainly due to the improper purification/processing

and over dose. Purification not available in allopathic system but is in ayurveda.

The detoxification or purification process of any toxic material used for medicinal purposes is termed as “Śodhana”. Śodhana is in practice since the times of Caraka Saṃhitā, but its use expanded with the development of Rasaśāstra since 8th century CE. Śodhana process is specially designed for the drugs from mineral origin; however, it is recommended for all kinds of drugs to remove their impurities or toxic content.