| Botanical Name (Latin):
Picrorhiza kurroa
Sanskrit
Name:
Katuka
Common Name (English):
Kutki (Hellbore)
Type of
Herb: Ayurvedic
Effect on the
Doshas:
Vata: - Pitta: =
Kapha: -
Rasa (Taste): tikta, katu,
The six flavors are:
Madhura
(sweet) Amla (sour)
Lavana (salty)
Katu
(pungent) Tikta
(bitter) Kasaya (astringent)
Virya
(Energy): shita
The two energies are:
Shita (cold)
Ushna (hot)
Vipak
(Post-Digestive Action):
katu
Guna
(Qualities):
ruksha
The twenty gunas or qualities
of all substances are: Guru
(heavy) Manda
(dull) Shita
(cold) Ushna (hot)
Snigdha
(unctuous) Slaksna
(smooth) Sandra
(dense) Mridu
(soft) Sthira
(stable) Suksma
(subtle) Visada
(non-slimy) Laghu
(light) Tikshna
(sharp) Rooksha
(un-unctuous, dry) Khara
(rough) Drava
(liquid) Kathina
(hard) Sara
(unstable) Sthula
(gross) Piccila
(slimy)
Prabhava
(Special Potency):
balances vata
Dhatu
Affinity (Tissues
Entered):
rakta, rakta, liver and pancreas (tonic)
The seven dhatus or tissues
are: Rasa (plasma, lymph), Rakta
(red blood cells), Mamsa
(muscle tissue), Meda (adipose
tissue), Ashti (bone tissue),
Majja (bone marrow, nervous
tissue
, connective tissue), Shukra
(male reproductive tissue), Artava
(female reproductive tissue)
Pharmacological
Action:
tonic, expectorant, anthelmintic, antiviral, antipyretic, strong purgative, mild diuretic, antispasmodic, hepato and spleenotonic, regulates blood sugar, expectorant, anthelmintic, bhedana, antiviral = also HIV, EBV, purgative provoking pitta remove, anticoagulant, antipyretic, lekhana, diuretic, hepato detoxifier, antipleuritic, antispasmodic = hiccoughs K= kapha pitta hara, pacana, dipana, yakrt utageka, pitta sarka, krmighana, prame hangn, daha prasamk; bitter stomachic, laxative, cathartic in large dose, antiperiodic, cholagogue, mild purgative
Indications
(Uses):
portal hypertension, ascites, fever, hiccoughs, chronic constipation, renal failure, cirrhotic changes, HIV, rheumatic conditions, CFS, jaundice, hepatitis A (infectious) or B C, cirrhotic changes ,lipomas, gall stones, CFS, cirrhotic changes from alcohol, placque on arteries, gall stones, eczema, peptic ulcer, arteries, rheumatism, immune deficiency, fever, infectioin, pneumonitis, pulmonary congestion, cold, cough, HIV, EBV, chronic hiccough from CHF, renal failure, uremia, chronic constipation from gases, ascites, spleenomegaly, renal failure, hepatomegaly K = dropsy, snakebit, scorpion sting, disease of liver and spleen including jaundice and anemia, constipation due to scanty intestinal secretions, bilious fever as decoction of kutki, neem, licorice, raisins dyspepsia (kutki, vaca, haritaki, citrak with cow's urine in dose of 28ml, scorpion sting, non-specific fever such as with constipation, fever of elephantiasis, infective hepatitis with jaundice, bronchial asthma, hi serum cholesterol and long coagulation times
Contraindications
(Cautions):
diarrhea, dual hiccoughs, hypoglycemia
Constituents:
K = flavonoid, kutkin a glucosida bitter principle actually two glucosides picroside-1 and kutkoside. Petroleum ether extract yielded D-mannitol, kutkiol, kutkisterol, and a ketone identical to apocynin, picrorhizin is its bitter principle, as glucosidovanilloyl glucose was isolated
Active
Substances:
Plant Part
Used:
rhizome
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