Crude drug sample data base

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Crude drug name

Market nameHARITAKI
Formal nameHaritaki
Other names　　　

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Harada, Jangi harada (T), Hirda, Haritaki (B), Harada, Harra (H), Harra, Karakkayi, Alalekayi (K), Katukka (M), Karakkaya, Karitaki (Te), Kadukkai (Ta), Alaru (Sin)
English nameChebulic Myrobalan
Original plant nameTerminalia chebula Retz., Chebulic Myrobalan
Family nameCombretaceae
Used partClassificationPlant origin
Sub classification fruit
Collection informationIndia, Kolkata, West Bengal, Dr. Alok Kumar Daw
Collection date2000/12/19
CollectorKatsuko Komatsu
TMPW No.20557

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Collection information
India,Kolkata, West Bengal
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Scientific information data base

Crude drug nameAyurvedic name or
Sanskrit name, English name		Haritaki, Chebulic Myrobalan
SynonymsVijaya, Abhaya, Pathya, Vyatha, Prapathya, Amrta, Jaya, Kayastha, Haimavati, Cetaki, Siva, Sadhvi, Pranada, Manavi, Jivanti, Pancabhadrika, Pisaci, Putana, Avyatha, Sreyasi, Vayastha, Rohini, Cetanika, Jivapriya, Jivanika, Bhisagvara, Jivya, Devi, Divya, Vahninetra.
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Original plant nameTerminalia chebula Retz.
Family nameCombretaceae
Used partFruits
Distribution areaThroughout India, especially in Bengal, Tamil Nadu, West Coast, Western ghats, Maharashtra etc.
RemarksCommon.
Common usesThe drug is astringent, sweet, acrid, bitter, sour, anodyne, alterant, stomachic, laxative, purgative, carminative, digestive, anthelmintic, cardiotonic, aphrodisiac, antiseptic, diuretic, febrifuge, depurative and tonic and is considered effective in erysipelas, colitis, laryngitis, enlargement of liver and spleen and abdominal diseases. It is one of the ingredients of Triphala (a group of three fruits) and is employed in a large number of drug formulations.
Therapeutic usesSvasakasa (respiratory disorders), Prameha (diabetic types), Kustha (skin diseases), Sotha (swelling), Krmi (worms), Visarpa (erysipelas), Grahani (irritable bowels), Vibandha (blocks in the channels), Visamajvara (intermittant fever), Gulma (abdominal tumours/tumors), Adhmana (abdominal distension), Vrana (wounds), Chardi (vomiting), Hikka (hicough), Kantha (throat diseases), Kamala (jaundice), Sula (colic), Pliha (enlargement of spleen), Yakrt (liver disorders), Asmari (calculi), Mutrakrchra (urinary disorders), Vatasra (arthritic conditions), Hanustambha (rigidity of neck), Galaroga (catching pain of neck), Navajvara (new fever), Puranajvara (old fever), Pandu (anaemic/anemic conditions), Sopha (oedema), Udara (ascitic types), Arsas (piles), Vaivarnya (discolouration), Vami (vomiting), Urustambha (a condition with pain and swelling of thighs), Klaibya (infertility)
Chemical constituentFatty acids
Palmitic acid (*C1), Linoleic acid (*C1), Oleic acid (*C1)

Triterpenoids
Chebupentol (*C6), Arjungenin (*C8), 2alpha-Hydroxymicromeric acid (*C10), Maslinic acid (*C10), 2alpha-Hydroxyursolic acid (*C10)

Triterpenoid saponins
Chebuloside I (*C7), Chebuloside II (*C7), Arjunglucoside I (*C8)

Flavonoids
Luteolin (*C2)

Tannins
1,2,3,4,6-Penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucopyranose (*C2), Chebulagic acid (*C2, *C5), Chebulinic acid (*C2 *C5), Ellagic acid (*C2), 2,4-Chebulyl-beta-D-glucopyranose (*C2), Terminalic acid (*C4), 1,2,6-Tri-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (*C5, *C13), Chebulanin (*C9),
Terchebulin (*C11), Terflavin C (*C11), Terflavin D (*C11), 3,6-Di-O-galloyl-D-glucose (*C13), 6-O-Galloyl-D-glucose (*C13), 2,3-(S)-(hexahydroxydiphenyldicarbonyl)-D-glucose (*C13)

Phenol derivatives
Gallic acid (*C2, *C3, *C14), Ethyl gallate (*C2, *C14), Tannic acid (*C2), Terchebulic acid (*C11), Isochebulic acid (*C12), Neochebulic acid (*C12), (-)-Shikimic acid 3-O-gallate (*C13), (-)-Shikimide-4-O-gallate (*C13), (-)-Shikimic acid 5-O-gallate (*C13), Me gallate (*C13)

Chemical structure






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Pharmacological effectThe drug is the main purgative constituent of Triphala, the other two drugs only increasing the purgative activity of Terminalia chebula, possibly by rendering the irregular peristaltic movements uniformly progressive.

The anthelmintic activity of Triphala was found to be more than any of its three components (in dilute aqueous extract) possibly due to their synergistic effects.

Antibacterial and antifungal activities (a fraction obtained by treating the alcoholic (80%) extract of fruits with hydrochloric acid and extracting with ether)

Antispasmodic activity (chebulin)
Medical systemAyurveda (Traditional Indian medicine)
Traditional conceptRasa (Taste)Madhura (Sweet), Amla (Sour), Katu (Pungent), Tikta (Bitter), Kasaya (Astringent)
Virya (Potency)Usna (Hot)
Guna (Quality)Ruksa (Dry), Usna (Hot), Laghu (Light)
Vipaka
(Post digestive taste)		Madhura (Sweet)
Prabhava
(Special action)		Virecana (purgative)
Karma
(General action)		Dipani (increases digestive fire), Medhya (intellect promoting), Rasayana (rejuvenative), Ayusya (life promoting), Brmhani (nourishing), Yogavahi (acquiring qualities of the materials combined with this), Vayasthapani (regulating aging process), Balya (strengthening), Buddhi inriyabalaprada (strengthening intellect and senses)
Dosakarma
(Action on dosa)		Decreases all three dosas
Mala
(Action on excretory mechanism)		Anulomana (laxative)
Avayava
(Action on organ)		Caksusya (good for eyes), Kantha (throat), Hrd (heart), Pliha (spleen), Yakrt (Liver), Karna (ear)
Traditional usage1. When taken after food, Haritaki (Terminalia chebula) is good for metabolic disorders. Along with salt it is used in Kapha, along with jaggery in Pitta and along with ghee in Vata.

2. Rock salt, jaggery, ginger, Pippali (Piper longum), honey and Haritaki are taken as a rejuvenative in rainy season.

3. Linctus prepared of Haritaki with ghee, honey and oil removes all types of fever.

4. Haritaki taken with honey alleviates malarial fever.

5. If stool comes out in small quantity and with obstruction and pain, the patient should be purgated with the warm paste of Haritaki and Pippali.

6. Powder of Haritaki, rocksalt and Sunthi (dry ginger) taken with honey and sugar in diarrhoea/diarrhea caused by Kapha.

7. Haritaki, Sunthi, Musta (Cyperus rotundus) and jaggery - these four mixed in equal quantity are made into pills known as Catussama modaka. It checks all types of diarrhoea.

8. Haritaki taken regularly with Sunthi or Jaggery or rocksalt promotes digestive power.

9. In case there is burning sensation in bowels, cardiac region and throat after meal Haritaki mixed with Draksa (grapes), sugar and honey should be taken.

10. Haritaki taken with Nimba (Azadirachta indica) improves digestion and removes skin diseases such as ring worm, boils etc.

11. Paste of Haritaki, rocksalt, Pippali and Sunthi pacifies all the three dosas and acts as appetiser and digestive.

12. Bark of Haritaki tree taken with buttermilk alleviates irritable bowels associated with "Ama" (indigestion) and blood.

13. Water boiled with Haritaki, Trivrt (Operculina turpethum), Kulattha (Dolichos biflorus) and mixed with Pippali powder and Danti (Baliospermum montanum) oil cures upward movement of Vata within three days.

14. Haritaki kept in cow's urine and mixed with jaggery should be given or it may be given with buttermilk for piles.

15. Haritaki cooked in cow's urine should be taken with honey in the morning according to strength in piles.

16. Haritaki mixed with jaggery pacifies Pitta and Kapha, removes scabies and itching and destroys piles.

17. Haritaki mixed with jaggery should be taken followed by intake of buttermilk for piles.

18. Haritaki and Rasona (garlic) each 4 gm and Asthisamhara (Vitis quadrangularis) 8 gm mixed with a little salt and oil destroy haemorrhoides/hemorrhoids.

19. Haritaki mixed with Draksa alleviates intrinsic haemorrhage/hemorrhage, itching, Pitta type phantom tumor and chronic fever.

20. Haritaki mixed with honey acts as digestive and appetiser. It also alleviates Kapha, intrinsic haemorrhage, colic and diarrhoea.

21. Haritaki impregnated with the juice of Vasa (Adhatoda vasica) seven times checks intrinsic haemorrhage.

22. Pill prepared with Haritaki, Sunthi, Musta and jaggery should be kept in mouth.

23. Haritaki and Sunthi kept in mouth checks cough and asthma.

24. In hiccough, one should take Haritaki with warm water.

25. Haritaki powder should be taken mixed with profuse honey and ghee for hiccough and asthma.

26. Jaggery cooked with Haritaki can also be taken for the above condition.

27. Old ghee cooked with Haritaki, Bida (a type of salt) and Hing (Ferula assa-foetida) is useful in asthma, cough, hiccough and heart disease.

28. One should take Haritaki impregnated with and suspended with cow's urine for anaemia/anemia and jaundice.

29. Lauhabhasma (iron powder), Haritaki and Haridra (turmeric) in equal parts mixed with honey and ghee should be taken with jaggery and honey in case of jaundice.

30. Haritaki pounded with urine should be taken in jaundice.

31. After evacuation from both ways, one should take Haritaki mixed with profuse honey and ghee in jaundice and anaemia.

32. In ascitic types, one should take Haritaki with cow's urine followed by milk, keeping for a week, on buffalo's urine and milk with no cereal diet.

33. Decoction of Haritaki and Rohitaka (Tecomella undulata) mixed with Yavaksara (a type of alkali) and Pippali should be taken in morning for alleviation of the enlargement of liver, spleen, intestinal tumour/tumor and ascites.

34. Haritaki mixed with jaggery should be taken in case of constipation and passing abnormal stool with mucus in oedema.

35. In oedema caused by, Haritaki with cow's urine is taken.

36. Haritaki and Madhuka (Glycyrrhiza glabra) combined should be given with honey followed by milk in oedema.

37. Haritaki, Sunthi, Devadaru (Cedrus deodara) all in equal quantity are mixed together and taken with warm water. It removes oedema.

38. Bolus made of Haritaki, Tila (Sesamum indicum), Jaggery and Bhallataka (Semecarpus anacardium) alleviates skin diseases.

39. Haritaki with cow's urine alleviates oedema, anaemia, intestinal tumour, diabetic types, Kapha, scabies, eczema.

40. Haritaki heated and powdered and then mixed with Tila oil removes chronic skin diseases and wounds.

41. Haritaki alleviates diseases caused by over saturation, obesity.

42. Haritaki powder mixed with honey should be taken with wine in morning. This checks perspiration and provides fragrance to the body.

43. In fainting, ghee cooked with decoction of Haritaki should be given.

44. One should take Haritaki with jaggery and ghee for post digestive colic.

45. Paste of Haritaki fried with castor oil and mixed with Pippali and rocksalt is an excellent remedy for inguinal hernia.

46. Paste of Haritaki should be used with urine in filaria.

47. One who takes Haritaki fried in castor oil with cow's urine becomes free from filaria within a week.

48. One should use regularly Haritaki, Guggulu (Commiphora mukul), Silajatu (asphalt) in rheumatic disorder.

49. One suffering from rheumatic fever, sciatica and scrotal enlargement should take regularly Haritaki with castor oil.

50. Powder of Haritaki, Sunthi and Yavani (Trachyspermum ammi) in equal parts should be taken with buttermilk or hot water or sour gruel. It alleviates rheumatic fever, oedema and loss of appetite.

51. Decoction of Haritaki fried with ghee should be taken for arthritis.

52. In all cases of arthritis, Haritaki with jaggery is beneficial.

53. Decoction of Haritaki mixed with honey is taken for diseases of throat.

54. One suffering from defects of vision should take Haritaki in morning or before meals.

55. In defects of semen caused by Pitta, Haritaki should be used.

56. In whitlow, Haritaki is rubbed with the juice of Haridra in an iron vessel and applied frequently.
FormulationAbhayamodaka, Abhayarista, Pathyadi vati, Pathyadi kvatha, Vyaghriharitaki, Citrakaharitaki, Agastyaharitaki, Vaisvanara curna, Dantiharitaki, Haritaki khana, Pathyadi curna, Triphaladi curna, Agastyarasayana, Arogyavardhini, Candraprabha vati, Karanjadi yoga, Goksuradi guggulu
CommentsThe mythology on Haritaki is like this. When Indra (a god of Hindu mythology) drank nectar, few drops fell on the mountain called Medini and seven varieties of Haritaki were born out of this. Vijaya, Rohini, Putana, Amrta, Abhaya, Jivanti, Cetaki are the seven varieties of Haritaki. Vijaya is round shaped like Alabu and used in all diseases. Rohini is round and used in wound healing. Amrta is fleshy and used in swellings. Abhaya has fruit with five lines and used in eye diseases. Jivanti has golden colour and used in all diseases, Cetaki has fruit with three lines and is used for making powders. There are two types of Cetaki they are white and black. It is mentioned that the white one is six fingers long and black one is one finger long. According to Rajanighantu, Vijaya grows in Vindhya, Cetaki in Himalaya, Putana in Sindh, Rohini, Vijaya in Pratisthanaka, Amrta in Campa, Abhaya in Saurastra.

According to Bhavaprakasa there are four types based on action. Some induce purgation just by tasting, some other with smell, some by touch and some by sight. When one walks under Cetaki will get purgation. Cetaki is very powerful but good for people of less strength. But most important among seven is Vijaya.

The marrow is sweet, the fruit stalk is bitter, the shell is astringent and fruit rind is pungent.

The one which is unctuous, good in shape, globular, dipping in water is very good.

When it is chewed increases digestive fire, when it is ground removes faeces, when fomented becomes constipative and in powder form pacifies all the three dosas.

After sexual intercourse, when weak, having rough lean constitution, one who has undergone depletion therapy, one who has excess pitta, one who is pregnant, one who has bleeding disorders should not take Haritaki.

Small variety without seed should be used in children. That is astringent and good for diarrhoea/diarrhea with blood, irritable bowels, liver disorders, spleen disorders, good for intellect, complexion, eyes, hicough, distension, vomiting.

This is included in Prajasthapana, Jvaraghna, Kusthaghna, Kasaghna, Arsoghna gana by Caraka and Triphala, Amalakyadi, Parusakadi by Susruta.

The above variety is not correlated to any species. So it may be the tender fruits of the same species.
ReferencesReference book　

Tips！

[2] Indian Medicinal Plants - A Compendium of 500 species, Varier, P.S., Orient Longman Ltd. Chennai (Madras)
Vol. 5 (Repr.1997), pp 263-274.

Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants, 1956. Chopra, R.N., Nayar, S.L. and Chopra, I.C., Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, New Delhi. - New Edition (1996) National Institute Science Communication; Supplement
p 242.

Illustrated Manual of Herbal Drugs Used in Ayurveda, 1996. Sarin, Y.K., Council of Scientific & Industrial Research and Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi
p 234.

Ayurvedic Drugs and Their Plant Sources, 1994. Sivarajan, V.V. and Balachandran, I., Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
p 172.

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Vol I, Ed. I, 1989. Govt. of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Dept. of Health, New Delhi
pp 47-48.

Indian Materia Medica, Vols. 1-2, 1976 (Repr. 1989). Nadkarni, A.K., Popular Prakashan Pvt. Ltd., Bombay
p 1608.

Dravyagunavijnana, Vols. 1-5, reprint 1998. Sharma, P.V., Chowkhambha Bharati Academy, Varanasi
Vol. 2, pp 753-758.

Classical uses of Medicinal Plants, 1996. Sharma, P.V., Chaukhambha Visvabharati, Varanasi
p 404.

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*C3 Ahn, M. J., Kim, C. Y., Lee, J. S., Kim, T. G., Kim, S. H., Lee, C. K., Lee, B. B., Shin, C. G., Huh, H. and Kim, J.; Planta Med., 68, 457-59 (2002).
*C4 Liu, Y. Z., Yu, B. W., Ding, G. W. and Yang, J.; Chin. Chem. Lett., 9, 827-828 (1988).
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*C7 Kundu, A. P. and Mahato, S. B.; Phytochemistry, 32, 999-1002 (1993).
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*C9 Tokura, K.,and Kagawa, S.; Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 07138165 A2, 4pp (1995).
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*C11 Lin, T. C., Nanaka, G., Nishioka, I. and Ho, F. C.; Chem. Pharm. Bull., 38, 3004-08 (1990).
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RemarksFruit pulp is used as a dentrifice to cure bleeding and ulceration of gums. Water in which the fruits are steeped overnight is a good cooling wash for eyes, affording relief in conjuctivitis and similar affections in the eyes. When coarsely powdered and smoked in a pipe, fruit gives relief in asthma.

Small sized varieties are dark brown to black in colour. Seven varieties of Haritaki, based on shape, size of fruit and geographical origin have been mentioned in Ayurvedic literature. No such difference can, however, be made in the material available within the country. The morphological and colour differences appear more due to the stage of maturity of the fruit at which it is collected. Full grown, heavy and large sized fruits having a golden yellow colour are preferred for medicinal use.
Last renewal date2023/12/20
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