Advisory Services

Alkanet Root

 

BOTANICAL NAME:

  • Onosma echioides

FAMILY:

  • Boraginaceae

SYNONYM(S):

  • Onosma hispidum wall

URDU NAME:

  • Ratanjot

REGIONAL NAME:

  • Persian: Nashkaro, Piyochoya
  • Hindi: Ratanjot
  • Pashto: Surkhai
  • Sanskrit: Dhamani, Anjanakeshi, Dhamani, Nalini, Shushira
  • Arabic: Abukhalsa
  • Punjabi: Koame, Laljani, Maharanga

UNANI/TIBBI NAME:

  • Ratanjot

ENGLISH NAME:

  • Alkanet root

HABITAT:

  • Very common in Baluchistan, kurnam, Landi Kotal, Chitral, Swat and Kaghan

DESCRIPTION:

  • A biennial herb
  • Leaves 6.5 cm long, simple, alternate, oblong and yellowish-green in colour with dots on both surfaces
  • Floral raceme elongated, flowers are white in colour
  • Fruiting is about 15 cm long, is small, stony, white, shinning, smooth and nut.

PART USED:

  • Roots Leaves and Flowers

TASTE:

  • Bitter

TEMPERAMENT:

  • Hot 2°, Cold 1°, dry 2°

PERIOD OF OCCURRENCE:

  • Flowers in summer and soon afterward the seeds ripen

PROCEDURE & TIME OF COLLECTION:

  • The roots is said to be in its prime at harvested time in July and August it is dried in the shade.

CONSTITUENTS:

  • Red dye

SUBSTITUTES:

  • Akhavan/babunah (anthemis nobilis )

ACTIONS AND USES IN UNANI SYSTEM OF MEDICINE:

Pharmacological action:

  • Cooling
  • Laxative
  • Anthelmintic
  • Alexipharmic, alternative
  • Cardiac stimulant
  • In cutaneous disease

Therapeutic uses:

  • Root is ground and applied on skin eruption also used in eye diseases

DOSES:

  • 3-5 g

CORRECTIVES:

  • Roghan-e banafsha/oil of violet (viola odorata)
  • Magaz-e-kadu/ground kernels (lagenania vulgare seninge)

IMPORTANT UNANI FORMULATIONS:

  • Marham khanish
  • Marham khanazeeer
  • Roghan surkh
  • Marham jadwar

ASTROLOGY:

  • Mars