Abstract

BHANG (CANNABIS SATIVUS L.): REVIEW OF THE DRUG WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON SINGLE USE AND COMPOUND FORMULATIONS AND ITS PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES RELEVANT TO UNANI SYSTEM OF MEDICINE

Mohd Afsahul Kalam*, Yasmin Siddique and Ansar Ahmad

Abstract

The drug Qinnab (Cannabis sativa L.) or Indian hemp plant of cannabinaceae family, consists of dried leaves and seeds and commonly known as Bhang. It is an important drug used in Unani System of Medicine for the treatment of various ailments. The plant is an annual dioecious herb, indigenous to Central and Western Asia, but largely cultivated in temperate and tropical countries. The parts of the plant widely used are Bhang (dried leaves), Tukhm Bhang (seeds) Charas (resin), Ganja (flowering heads). It is chiefly used for Muqawwi-i-bah (aphrodisiac), Mumsik (retentive), Musakkin (sedative), and Munawwim (hypnotic) properties. Its widely used phytochemicals are cannabidiol, tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabinol etc. Though the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The plant is known to contain more than 500 compounds, among them at least 113 cannabinoids. However most of these minor cannabinoids only produced in trace amounts. Besides THC another cannabinoid produced in high concentration by some plant is cannabidiol. Its important Unani compound formulations are Ma‘jun Falaksair, Ma‘jun Muqawwi wa Mumsik, Ma‘jun Masihi, Ma‘jun Murawwahul Arwah etc. and used effectively for the treatment of diseases related to nerve and brain and also for sexual diseases such as spermatorrhoea, premature ejaculation, general body pain etc. This review compiled with special emphasis on single use and compound formulations and its pharmacological studies relevant to Unani System of Medicine.

Keywords: Qinnab; Cannabis sativa L.; Unani; Tetrahydrocannabinol; Cannabidiol; Cannabinol; Psychoactive.