Botanical identification of plants described in Mādhava Cikitsā for the treatment of diarrhoea.
BACKGROUND
Mādhava is regarded as a 7(th) century Indian Physician who composed two treatises (in Sanskrit) on Ayurveda, the Mādhava Nidāna and Mādhava Cikitsā. The former treatise deals with the diagnosis of diseases while the latter with the treatment using medicinal plants and other recipes. In Mādhava Cikitsā, a common Sanskrit name is found to describe two or more totally different botanical plant species (thus leading to ambiguity) and a distinct botanical species is also found to represent two or more Sanskrit names at several instances.


OBJECTIVE
The present paper deals with the correct botanical identification (most probable) of Sanskrit named plants described in Mādhava Cikitsā for the treatment of Diarrhoea (Atisāra Cikitsā).


METHODS
The authentic manuscripts of 'Mādhava Cikitsā' were critically studied for the present research outcome. A detailed literature survey is carried out from various references and texts.


RESULTS
The list of Sanskrit named plants contains 103 names, while after the critical study and assigning the most probable botanical identification as per ICBN, the list of plant species described in the text for the treatment of Diarrhoea is found to contain 73 names.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study will certainly benefit Ayurvedic medical practitioners and pharmaceutical companies in selection of proper plant species avoiding substitutions for drug formulation.
Department of Botany, Jamkhed Mahavidyalaya, Jamkhed, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India.
Niteen Ramdas
NR
Salve
Department of Botany, Sub-centre Latur of Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded, Maharashtra, India.
Debendranath
D
Mishra
Atisāra Cikitsā; Mādhava Cikitsā; botanical identification; diarrhoea