Abstract

GULVEL HEALTH BENEFITS

Manali Milind Bhide* and Sachin A. Nitave

ABSTRACT

Gulvel is a medicinal plant with various properties of therapeutic importance. It belongs to the family Menispermaceae and scientifically it is called Tinospora cordifolia. It is large deciduous extensively spreading, climbing shrub with several elongated branches. Leaves are simple, alternate, exstipulate, long petioles, roundish, pulvinate both at base & apex with the basal one longer & twisted partially & half way around. The plant is distributed throughout the tropical region of India up to 1,200 m above sea level from Kumaon to Assam, in north extending through west Bengal, Bihar, Deccan, Konkan, Karnataka & Kerala. It is fairly common plant of deciduous & dry forests, growing over hedges & small trees. In Ayurveda, Tinospora has been used over centuries to treat various diseases. The drug is well known Indian bitter and prescribed in fevers, diabetes, dyspepsia, jaundice, urinary problems, skin diseases and chronic diarrhoea and dysentery. It has been also indicated useful in the treatment of heart diseases, leprosy, helminthiasis and rheumatoid arthritis. The starch obtained from the stem known as "Guduchi-satva" is highly nutritive and digestive and used in many diseases. During last two decades, the drug has been subjected to extensive phytochemical, pharmacological and clinical investigations and many interesting findings in the areas of immunomodulation, anticancer activity, liver disorders and hypoglycemic are reported. It is used to treat corona virus infection.

Keywords: Tinospora cordifolia, Jaundice, Dyspepsia, Skin diseases, Guduchi-satva, corona virus.