Operculina turpethum

Operculina turpethum

Other Names : Turbud, Tribhandi, Triputa, Trivrit, Sarala, Suvaha, Rechani, Ardhachandra, Kumuda Gandhini, India Jalap, Saint Thomas Lidpod, Trasparent wood rose, Turpeth root, Nisoth, Panila, Pithori, Tegade, Tevudi, Nisottar, Nishottar, Nasttara, Sivadai, Adimbu, Kumpncan, Paganrai, Chivaka, Vilitigada, Aluthi gida, Bangada balli, Bilitigade, Devadanti, Nagadanti
a potent medicinal plant, used in both Unani and Ayurvedic systems of medicine. The plant is native to Asia; India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan and Myanmar. Generally, it is reported throughout the warmer parts of India; whereas, in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu the plant is recorded from the dry zones. The plant is a large climber and perennial twinner. The root, bark and leaves are used as medicine.

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studies have revealed that Operculina turpethum exerts antiinflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-ulcer, anti-diarrhoeal, antispasmodic, bronchodilator, anti-cancer, antimicrobial and hepatoprotective actions

Special Precautions of Operculina turpethum

In Ayurvedic medicine, 2 forms of trivrit are recognized: ‘Aruna’ or ‘Shweta’ with whitish or reddish rhizomes (Operculina turpethum) and ‘Shyama’ with blackish rhizomes (Ipomoea petaloidea Choisy). ‘Shyama’ has a drastic purgative action and can treat conditions such as intoxication and abdominal tumours. However, ‘Shyama’ can also have serious side effects, including fainting, burning sensation, confusion, chest pain and roughness of throat and hence is rarely used in medicine. Commercial samples of the rhizomes are sometimes adulterated with stem pieces of the same species.

Health Benefits and Uses of Operculina turpethum

The root is prescribed in scorpion sting and snake bite. The roots are bitter, acrid, sweet, thermogenic, purgative, carminative, antihelmintic, expectorant, antipyretic, hepatic, stimulant and hydragogue. They are useful in colic constipation, dropsy, vitiated conditions of vata, paralysis, myalgia, arthralgia, pectoralgia, bronchitis, obesity, helminthiasis, gastropathy, ascites, inflammations, intermittent fever, leucoderma, puritus, ulcers, erysepelas, haemorrhoids, tumors, jaundice, ophthalmia, employed in drug formulations, dropsical effusions and rheumatism. It has Mus’hil-e-Balgham, Qata-e-Balgham-e-Ghaleez (Expectorant), Munaqqi-e-Dimag (Brain evacuant), Muqawwie-Dimagh (Brain tonic), Munaqqi-e-Meda (Gastric depurative), Mujaffi-e-Badan (desicative), Istifiragh-e-Rutubat (Excretory), Mus’hil (Laxative) activities.

• Anti-inflammatory, Analgesic and Antioxidant Property
• It is mainly used as expectorant, brain tonic and laxative.
• has been indicated for the treatment of arthritis, ascites, gout, hemiplegia and facial palsy.
• The major indications of Turbud are Waja-ul-Mafasil (Arthritis), Istisqa (Ascites), Niqris (Gout), Irq-un-Nasa (Sciatica), Falij (Hemiplegia), Laqwa (Facial palsy), Sua’l (Cough), Zeeq-unNafas (Bronchial Asthma), Junoon (Insanity), and Sara (Epilepsy).
• cleaning and purgative properties. It helps in easy passage of stool and also increases the bowel movements. The herb helps to prevent the constipation also.
• Hemorrhoids. It helps to provide relief in the symptoms associated with hemorrhoids like itching, irritation, redness, soreness and swelling around anus.
• treatment of edema as it helps to expel out the extra water from body. Furthermore, it helps to manage the symptoms like puffiness or swelling of tissues under skin, increase in abdomen size and stretched skin.
• The herb also supports the good health of liver. It helps in the cleaning of liver by removal of toxins.
• Anti-ulcer Activity : Oral administration of hydro-alcoholic and methanolic stem bark extracts of O. turpethum at the dose level of 100 mg/kg body weight exhibited potent anti-ulcer activity in aspirin and pylorus ligation (APL) rat animal model.
• Anti-diabetic Activity : Methanolic extract of O. turpethum roots and stems revealed anti-diabetic activity in Streptozotocin induced type-2 diabetic animal model. This herb is packed with the Anti-diabetic properties which helps to maintain the healthy blood sugar levels in the body. Moreover, this herb also helps to manage the symptoms which are associated with diabetes like fatigue, increased urination, weight loss, excessive thirst, blurred vision and slow healing of the wounds.
• Anti-diarrhoeal Activity The crude extract of O. turpethum at a dose-dependent manner (300-1000 mg/kg body weight) exhibited anti-diarrhoeal effect in the castor oil-induced diarrhoea animal model, similar to that of Loperamide.
• Hepato-protective Activity : Ethanolic extract of O. turpethum exhibited hepatoprotective effect in Paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity in rat animal model.
• Anti-microbial Activity : O. turpethum has manifested antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus haemolytica, Micrococcus luteus, Micrococcus pyogenes Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysenteriae and Shigella sonnei.
• anti-cancer activity : A study revealed that the O. turpethum possess antioxidant activity and may play a protective role against DMBA induced breast cancer
• treatment of respiratory complications like cough, bronchitis, dyspnea, pneumonia and tuberculosis. It helps in the clearance of mucous from air channels. The herb also provide relief in shortening of breath, lungs congestion, nasal congestion and cough.
• Being anti-pyretic in nature, it helps to provide relief in the fever.
• Blood purification properties of this herb are quite effective in the treatment of skin diseases. It helps to provide relief in the symptoms which are associated with skin diseases like itching, burning sensation, redness and oozing etc.
• Purgative action of this herb is quite beneficial in various stomach disorders like flatulence, indigestion and unsatisfactory bowel movements etc.
• This herb also helps to maintain the healthy cholesterol levels in body.
• Being purgative in nature, use of this herb is quite good in the arthritis and osteoarthritis. It helps to reduce the inflammation and swelling in joints. Moreover its anti- inflammatory properties help in the pain reduction.
• This herb possess the Anthelmintic properties which helps in clearing of intestinal worms from body. Hence the use of this herb is quite effective in the treatment of various intestinal infections which are caused by bacteria, virus, protozoa and various other pathogens which may lead to serious digestive problems like cholera.
• The anti-inflammatory properties of this herb help to provide relief in the bodyache.

Used in patent medicine

• it has been mentioned as a useful component in many Unani pharmacopoeial formulations such as; Itrifal Mulaiyyin, Habb-e-Ayarij, Habb-e-Suranjan, Habb-e-Muqil, Majoon Anjeer, and Jawarish Kamooni.
• Some of the Ayurvedic preparations are Trivritaadi ghrita, Trivritadi kwaatha, Kaishorgugglu
• Chandraprabha Vati
• Avipattikar
• Abhayarista
• Kayam Churna

References

• The Bhavprakash nighantu with elaborated Hindi commentary by Padmashri prof. K.C.Chunekar, edited by Dr. G.S. Pandey: verse 193-194, edition of 1998: page no- 397-398.
• A Review on Operculina turpethum: A Potent Herb of Unani System of Medicine Tasleem Ahmad, Mohd Kashif Husain, Mohd Tariq, Javed Inam Siddiqui, Mohd Khalid, Mohammed Wasim Ahmed, Munawwar Husain Kazmi