MEDICINAL PLANTS OF SIKKIM

 

 

Basic Information

 

                 

              Species                       : Picrorhiza kurooa Royles ex Benth

              Local Name                : Kutki (Nep)

              Synonym                     :

              Family                         : Scrophulariaceae

              Habitat                       : A Perennial, hairy herb in rocky slopes of alpine Himalayas.

             Distribution                : Distributed in alpine Himalayas from Kashmir to Sikkim at the height

                                                                                                           of 2700-4500 m.

Sikkim                         : Thansing, Muguthang, Dzongri (3600-4000 m), Kupup, Changu, Baba Mandir, Memenchu, Jalepla, Pangolakha, Lhonak valley,

                                    Yumay-Samdong, Kishong, Yumthang and above.

Outside                       : Jammu & Kashmir (Kishtwar, Pirpanjal range, Kishangganga valley, Upper Lidder Valley), Himachal Pradesh (Pangi, Bharmour,

                                    Mandi, lahul, Kalpa, Dhauladar, Barabhangal range); Uttar Pradesh (Kedarnath, Har-ki-dun, Gangotri, Pithoragarh, Uttarkashi,

                                    Chamoli, Tanakpur); Nepal (3200- 5300 m), Tibet, Pakistan and mountains of Yunan in China.

Morphological information

A hairy perennial herb with up to 0.5 cm thick rootstock covered with the base of the withered leaves.Leaves almost radical, spathulate, base narrowed into winged sheathing petiole. Flowers white or blue, flowering stem longer than the leaves. Spike 5-10 cm long sub-cylindric, many flowered. Capsule is about 1cm long and egg shaped.

Flowering                             : June-August

Fruiting                                : September-October

History                                 :

Parts                                    : Roots and rhizome.

Status                                  : Critically endangered.

Phytochemistry                  

Structure of kutkin isolated from roots; apocynin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyacetophenone) isolated a new iridoid glucoside- picroside I- isolted and characterized as 6'- O- trans- cinnamoyl- catalpol; crystalline kutkin shown to be a stable mixed crystal of picroside I and a new glucoside-  kutkoside; structure of latter elucidated as 10- 0 vanilloylcatapol; a new iridoid glucoside- picroside II-isolated and characterized as 6-vanniloylcatapol; picrosdie III isolated and characterized as 6’ -(4- hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamoyl) catapol.

 

Ayurvedic

 In ayurveda, katuka is used in "katukadaya lauha" prescribed for general weakness in "Tikatadi Kuatha" for particular type of fever. "Tikatadi Ghee" may be used for the same purpose. The oral administration of Ayogyavardhini and Phalatrikydi Asava cures 90% cases of jaundice. Arogyavardhinivati 1 g is to be taken with equal part of honey twice a day in case of jaundice.

Unani

The plant is rarely used in preparation like majun Jograj Guggar which is an ayurvedic origin.

 

Other

The bitter roots are employed as bitter tonic, cathartic, stomachic, given in fevers, dyspepsia as strong purgative, respiratory disorders and diseases of liver and spleen including jaundice, anaernia and also applied in scorpion bites. The powder of the drug 625 mg to 1.25 g is given as bitter tonic, 4 to 6 gm for purgative action and 2 to 3 gm in intermittent fever. A drug Picroliv irritoid glycoside fraction of roots and rhizome of P. Kurroa has been developed for the treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis and healthy carriers.

 

 


Reference

1. Anonymous, The Wealth of India. (1998). National Institute of Science Communication, CSIR, New Delhi. 49, 50.

2. Chatterjee, Asima. Pakrashi, Satyesh Chandra. (1997). The treatise of Indian Medicinal Plants (Vol. 5). National Institute of Science Communication New Delhi. 40-41.

3. Chopra, R.N.; S.L. Nayar; I.C. Chopra (1999). Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants, National Institute of Science Communication CSIR. New Delhi. 192.

4. Kumar, Sushil; Janardan Singh; N.C Shah; Vinay Ranjan (1997). Indian Medicinal and Aromatic Plants facing Genetic Erosion CIMAP, Lucknow. 169-171.

5. Progress Report of the Project "Studies on Medicinal Plants of Sikkim" (1998- 2001). State Council of Science and Technology for Sikkim.

6. Sharma, Eklabya; Lalit Kumar Rai (1994). Medicinal Plants of the Sikkim Himalaya. Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, published by Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Dehradun. 61, 62.

7. Thakur, R.S.; H.S.Puri, Akhtar Hussain (1989). Major Medicinal Plants of India Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Lucknow, India. 404-406.