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