BOTANICAL NAME : PSORALEA CORYLIFOLIA
FAMILY: FABACEAE
Dry fruit of leguminous plant Psoraliacorylifolia Linn is one of the most popular traditional Chinese medicine and officially listed in chinesepharmacopia. The plant is an annual herb and has immense biological importance. It has been widely exploited since ages for its magical effect against several skin diseases such as psoriasis, leukoderma, and leprosy.
The drug “ BAKUCHI” have no synonyms from vedic literature .Though somavathi is described in Rigveda its identity with P. corylifolia is not established.
In charakasamhitha the name kushtagna is used for khadira or prapunnada but not for Bakuchi.Avalguja is the undisputed name of this plant in BhratTrayi.
The tribal name ‘Sevaraja’ in the forest areas of Bihar for Vernoniaanthelmintica wild may also be considered for somarajiacc to Thakurji
There are two important properties for Bakuchi like vishagna and svitranashana.
The name Bakuci is being used by only Sushrutha and vaghbata.
VARIETIES
- Swethaavalguja
- Krishna Avalguja,
SYNONYMS
- AVALGUJA
- PUTIPHALA
- SOMARAJI
- SOMAVALLI
- CHANDRASHAKLA
- KRISHNAPHALA
VERNACULAR NAMES
Hindi : Bavachi, bakuchi, babchi
English : Psoralia seed, Malaya Tree, Purple flame
Kannada : Bavanchi, Bavachige
Bengali : Habuch
Telugu : Bavanchalu
Tamil : Karpokarisi, karpokaralasi
Malayalm : Karkokil , Karkokilari, Kaurkolari
PART USED
- Seeds
- Seed oil
- Root
- Leaves
PROPERTIES
RASA : KATU, TIKTA
GUNA : LAGHU, RUKSHA
VIRYA : USHNA
VIPAKA : KATU
PRABHAVA : SWITHRA KUSHTA NASHANA
KARMA
- KAPHA VATAHARA
- RASAYANA
- KESHYA
- TWACHYA
- KUSHTAGNA
- BALYA
- VISHTAMBAHARA
- RUCHYA
- RAKTHA PITTAHARA
- HRIDYA
- SHWASAGNA
- PRAMEHAGNA
- JWARAGNA
- KRIMIGNA
- PANDU ROGHAHARA
- VAJIKARA
PRAYOGA
- SHWITRA
- KUSHTA
- KHALIYA
- VARNYA
- NADIDAURBHALYA
- AGNIMANDYA
- JEERNA JWARA
- AMADOSHA
- VIBHANDHA
- TWAK ROGA
- HRITSHODHA
- KASA
- KLAIBYA
THERAPEUTIC ACTION
- Seeds are prescribed with the other drugs combination in snake bite and scorpionsting. Seeds are ground with water and the liquid is poured into each nostril in stuper and coma.
- In sadyovrana, backache leaf paste is applied over cut wound to check bleeding.
- In badriya , powder of Musali and Bakuchi is given. To relieve kushta, bakuchi is to be taken with ushnadaka and patient is exposed to sunlight and kept on milk diet.
- A compound ointment of the powdered seeds of bakuchi and cakramarda (cassia tora) with lime juice was tried in cases of ringworm with marked beneficial effect.
MATRA
- BEEJA CHOORNA (SEED POWDER) : 3-6 g
- FOR KRIMI : 4 – 6g
- TINCTURE : 3 – 15 ML /DAY
- OIL APPLIED EXTERNALLY
AUSHADHA YOGA (FORMULATIONS)
- Bakuchitaila
- Somarajitaila
- Avalgujaditaila
- Svitraghavati
- Bakuchirasayana
- Mahanilatailam
- Khadiraristha
RESEARCH STUDY
- In the preliminary clinical studies. (At the kolkata school of tropical medicine, Kolkata) the olio resinous extract of the seeds was found to be the most effective preparation when applied locally on the patches of leucoderma.
- The extract of seeds produced a rise in BP on anaesthetized dogs and caused stimulation of intestinal smooth muscle both invivo and invitro
- Psoralen, one ofthe chemical content also seemed to have progesterone like activity on sexually immature rabbits.
- The anti bacterial activity of essential oil is also documneted
- The action of psoralen on pigment production has been studied in some detail at the CDRI