Kushta – Saussuria lappa C B Clarke – Ayurvedic Herb

 

 

 

LITERARY REVIEW

• The drug kushta has been mentioned in veda’s.
• It is claimed to cure several diseases and posses the properties like Rasayana, vrushya and krimigna.
• It is specifically mentioned as tamaka nashaka(antipyretic).
• It is climed to posses aroma and important among all the herb, it is used for dhupa.
• It is agrya aushadhi for upanaha and abhyanga.
• And it is used as substitute for tagara.

 

SYNONYMS AND INTERPRETATION

Kushtam:-

• Cures vata rogas.
• Its root spreads deep in soil and the plant remain firmly fixed.

Kashamiraja:-

• Grows mainly in kashmira.

Utpala:-

• It grows near water sources and great altitudes.
• It flowers resemble those of lotus in shape.

Pakala:-

• It brings about dasha paka or roga paka easily.

Paribhashya:-

• It effectively conquer many disease.

Vapya:-

• Found near wells.

Vyadhi:-

• It relieves man from many diseases.

 

VERNACULAR NAMES

• English:- Kuth, costus.
• Hindi:- kuta, kura.
• Kannada:- koshta.
• Malayalam:- kottam simakkottam.
• Telugu:- changluva-koshtu.
• Tamil:- koshtam.

 

OFFICINAL PART

• Root

 

DOSE

• Powder : 1-2 gm.

 

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

• Essential oil.
• Costol.
• Taraxas-terol.
• Costunolide
• Dehydro costuhactone.
• Alpha-cyclocostunolide.
• Sitosterol.
• Sesquitepenes.
• Ar-curcumene.
• isodihydro costuhactone.
• Costus-lactone.

 

PROPERTIES

• Rasa:- tikta, katu, Madhura.
• Guna:- lagu, ruksha, thikshana.
• Veerya:- ushna.
• Vipaka:- katu.
• Doshagnatha:- vata, kaphahara.

 

ACTIONS

• Lekhaniya.
• Vrishya.
• Sukrasodhana.
• Artavajanana.
• Stanyajanana.
• Vedanastapana.
• Varnya.
• Arasadaka.
• Dipana.
• Sulaprashamana.
• Swasahara.
• Mutrala.
• Jvarghna.
• Rasayana.
• Visagna.
• Rakshogna.

INDICATIONS

• Kusta
• Hikka.
• Kasa.
• Shvasa.
• Parshva shoda.
• Hridroga.
• Visarpa.
• Kandu.
• Vatarakta.

 

THERAPEUTIC USES

External uses:-

Charaka-

Kushta:- dhanyaka and kushta churna is applied as lepa.

Vagbata:-

Arumshika:- kushta is roasted on mud pan till it become back, than it is powdered and strained through a cloth, this is applied on scalp with oil.

Mukhakhanthi vardanaratha:- nimbi swarasa and kushta lepa for 7 days along with honey.

Vangasena:-

Amurshika:- erandamula and kushta in equal part are applied on scalp.

 

 

RESEARCH STUDIES

 

• Delocalized oil and some lactone fractions of the oil exhibit hypotensive, spasmolytic and brochodilatory effect (chopra,1,958, dutta,1960).
• Anthlmintic activity of sassurea lappa was established by kokate , in 1986.
• It is a powder enhanced the aortic prostaglandin, example like activity in experimental rabbits (dwiredi et al 1987).
• 5 new amino acid sesquiterpene adducts,sausurecemines A.B.C.D.E.F were isolated from the root.(yoshikawa et al,1993)
• The aqueous extract was administered orally and the effect was compared to cofiibrate. The lipid lowering properly was highly significant(p>0.001). (upadhyay,1994).
• It has shown significant effect in reducing blood sugar level of obese diabeties.

 

FORMULATIONS

• Kushtadi churna.
• Kushtadi thaila.
• Kushta rasayana.
• Kushtadi kvatha.
• Kushtadi prakapa