A REVIEW OF THE PUNARNAWA (BOERHAAVIA DIFFUSA LINN.) :- A PLANT WITH MANY MEDICINAL USES

Dr. Anand Vikash* and Dr. Nalinaksh Pankaj

ABSTRACT

Today’s increasing world population is facing large number of diseases because of their hasty schedule and unhealthy environment. For treatment of these diseases various medicines are used. These medicines contain chemicals that are lethal and unsafe for our body. Ayurveda is the natural and herbal medicine system that is very safe and demand of today. It has no side effect and biodegradable in nature. Ayurveda deals about body care and different food and drinks that promote health. The references to the principles of ayurvedic medicines are found in many Vedas particularly in the atharv-veda. Mythology states[1] about ayurveda that Lord Brahma, the creator, imparted the knowledge of Ayurveda to Shri Prajapati Daksha who, in turn, passed it on to the Shri Ashwinikumara then proffered this knowledge to Lord Indra. Lord Dhanwantari was instructed by Lord Indra to spread, this invaluable science of longevity on the earth. Acharya Sushruta, a renowned surgeon and student of Lord Dhanwantari, wrote his famous compendium on surgery the Sushruta Samhita. To Acharya Charaka, who probably lived sometime between the second century B.C. and the second century A.D., goes the credit for the famous treatise on general medicine, the Charaka samhita and Sushruta Samhita are the two ancient treatises on which Ayurveda is based. Ayurveda promotes natural and herbal medicines that are biodegradable and very safe for human consumption as it has no side effect. Boerhaavia diffusa linn. commonly known as punarnava is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to family Nyctaginaceae widely studied and has a long history of therapeutic uses by the indigenous and tribal people and also in Ayurvedic and Unani medicines. The chemical presents in the whole plant of Boerhaavia diffusa L. which makes it as outstandingly useful plant is now been traced out. Now, it is regarded as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiaging, anticancerous, antibacterial, antistress, hepatoprotective and antidiabetic compound. Its biological used as a kidney and heart tonic and also to treat general fever, jaundice, obesity, asthma and to kill intestinal worms. The present paper provides a detailed account as well as its medicinal and ethnobotanical use of the plant Boerhaavia diffusa linn. In this review, we will try to discuss the multifunctional uses of the plant and also we will try to summarize the innovative research on this plant.

Keywords: Ayurveda, Boerhaavia diffusa L., Diseases, Ethanobotanical uses, Medicinal properties, Nyctaginaceae.