Abstract

YASTIMADHU AS A BIG REPOSITORY OF MEDICINAL PROPERTIES-AN AYURVEDIC PERSPECTIVE

Prabhat Kumar Srivastava*, Smriti Srivastava, Dr. Anil Kumar Singh, Dr. Kamal Nayan Dwivedi

Abstract

Yastimadhu (Liquorice) is a very well known as well as very valuable drug in the Indian system of medicine. In Ayurveda, it has been used for the prevention and treatment of various diseases and disorders like netra roga (ophthalmic disease), swarbheda (hoarseness of voice), kantha roga (disease of throat), kasa (cough, bronchitis), hicca (hiccough), apasmara (epilepsy), aamashayika vrana (gastric ulcer), vrana of mutravaha sansthan (ulceration of urinary tract), shosha (consumption), kesh vikara (falling and greying of hairs), raktapitta (bleeding tendency), twak roga (skin disease), chhardi (vomiting), pradara (metrorrhagia), garbha shosha (wasting of foetus), ardhavbhedaka (hemicranias), sheetpitta (urticaria), dagdha (burn), and as a rasayana (rejuvenator), vajikarana (aphrodisiac), medhya rasayana (intellect promoting), lactation promoting agent etc. Its various chemical constituents have shown great role in management and treatment of many diseases of present era by virtue of their ulcer healing, antioxidant, memory-enhancing, hepatoprotective, estrogen-like action, steroid like anti-inflammatory properties as well as antiviral activities against various viruses. This article explores comprehensively the medicinal properties of yastimadhu especially in Ayurvedic texts.

Keywords: Yastimadhu, Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn, sweetwood, liquorice.