Crude drug sample data base
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Crude drug name | Market name | Gaozaban |
|---|---|---|
| Urudu name | Berg e-gaozaban | |
| Arabic name / Persian name | Lisan al-thaur / Lisan al-thaur | |
| English name | Cow's Tongue Plant, Borage | |
| Original plant name | Onosma bracteatum Wall. / Trichodesma indicum (L.) R. Br., Cow's Tongue Plant, Borage | |
| Family name | Boraginaceae | |
| Used part | Classification | Plant origin | Sub classification | leaf |
| Collection information | People's Republic of Bangladesh, Dacca [Dhaka] , Essa Bros. & Co. | |
| Collection date | 1964/3/6 | |
| Collector | Tsuneo Namba | |
| Identifier | Javed Ahmad | |
| Description | Features: The leaf of O. bracteatum is simple, obovate or ovate in shape, about 10 to 15cm in length and 5 to 8cm wide with an obtuse apex and crenate margins. The surface is softy hirsute. The upper surface is dark green with greyish-green lower surface. The leaves contain covering and glandular trichomes. Stomata are absent in the upper epidermis. They are more frequently found in the lower epidermis. They are anisocytic types. | |
| TMPW No. | 9459 | |
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Production area information
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23.810332
90.41251809999994
Collection information
People's Republic of Bangladesh,Dacca [Dhaka]
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Scientific information data base
| Crude drug name | Urudu name, English name | Berg e-gaozaban, Cow's Tongue Plant, Borage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic name / Persian name | Lisan al-thaur / Lisan al-thaur | |||||
| crude drug image |
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| Original plant name | Onosma bracteatum Wall. / Trichodesma indicum (L.) R. Br. | |||||
| Family name | Boraginaceae | |||||
| Used part | Leaves | |||||
| Distribution area | Onosma bracteatum is found in Kashmir and Kumaon at 11,500ft. Trichodesma indicum is also found in greater part of India and Baluchistan. It is also found in Ceylon, Afghanistan, Iran and Mauritius. | |||||
| Description | Borage is a plant having wide leaves, resemble the tongue of cow, rough in touch and resemble Egyptian origan. Its colour is yellowish green. The Khurasani variety of borage should be used. Its leaves are thick and have some dot like structures on their surface (Avicenna). It is moderate in temperament slightly inclining towards hotness. Its moisture is in the last phase of the first degree. The dried form contains less moisture (Avicenna). According to Khuzi, it is cold and moist in the last phase of the second degree but in the opinion of Avicenna (Ibn Sina) it is far from truth. The taste is insipid and on soaking in water gives mucilage. | |||||
| Function and properties | Head, Heart, Chest, Wounds, Stomach, Excretion. Exhilarant, tonic to vital organs like brain, heart and liver, aperient, demulcent, alterative, reduces fever and is beneficial in chest ailments. The burnt form has desiccant and constipative properties | |||||
| Specific actions | Cardiotonic, demulcent and alterative. | |||||
| Frequency in use | Common. | |||||
| Common uses | Head: The burnt borage cures stomatitis in children. It relieves 'burning' of mouth. Heart: It is rarefying and cardiotonic drug. It is good for treating restlessness, melancholia, insanity, madness and palpitation and other melanotic diseases. For this purpose it is used with wine. It is also useful in cough and roughness of windpipe especially when used in the form of a decoction with honey water or sugar. Chest: It is generally prescribed in cases of bronchitis, asthma, catarrh and coryza. Wounds: The burnt form (in the form of powder) is sprinkled over wounds to dry up them in cases of children. Stomach: It is also reported in relieving irritation of the stomach and bladder as well as strangury. Excretion: It is mild purgative for melanotic humours. | |||||
| Side effect | Described as harmful for spleen (if large doses are taken or used for long term). | |||||
| Medical system | Unani | |||||
| Traditional concept | Temperament | Fresh goazaban hot and moist, dried goazaban hot and towards dryness (Kabiruddin). | ||||
| Drug effect | It is a cardiotonic drug. It is harmful for spleen in large doses. | |||||
| Dosage | Leaves, 5 to 7gm., flowers, 3 to 5gm. | |||||
| Substitute | Post Utruj (Citrus medica Linn.) fruit peel; for leaves, flowers are the substitute. For flowers, leaves and silk cocoon. | |||||
| Related drugs | Borago officinalis Linn. This plant is found in Europe and other western countries. It is used there as an ornamental plant. According to Saifuddin this is the real goazaban. Borage is a common Mediterranean weed thought to originate from southern Spain and Morocco. It is also cultivated for its seed oil. | |||||
| Corrigent (corrective) | Sandal sufaid (Santalum album Linn.), sandal. | |||||
| Important compound preparations | Jawarish Jalinus, Khamira Abresham Sada, Khamira gaozaban, Dawa al-Misk Mo`tadil and Ma`jun Dabeedal Ward. | |||||
| References | Reference book Tips！ | 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 pp 180-181, 247. Indian Materia Medica, Vols. 1-2, 1976 (Repr. 1989). Nadkarni, A.K., Popular Prakashan Pvt. Ltd., Bombay Vol. 1, p 871. Avicenna's Tract on Cardiac Drugs and Essays on Arab Cardiotherapy, 1983. Hameed, H. A. Hamdard Foundation Press, Karachi. pp 49-50. Standardisation of Single Drugs of Unani medicine, Part 1, 1987 (1st edi.), Part 2, 1992 (1st edi.), Part 3, 1997 (1st edi.). Central council for Research in Unani Medicine, New Delhi. Part 1, pp 66-73. Makhzanul-Mufradat (Khawasul Adviyah), Hakeem Kabiruddin, Daftar Al-Masih, Qarol Bagh, Delhi. pp 481-482. A Survey of Drugs, 1961 (2nd edi.). Wahid, A. K. and Siddiqui, H. H. Institute of History of Medicine and Medical Research, Delhi. p 74. Dictionary of Economic Plants in India, 1996 (2nd Rep.). Singh, U; Wadhwani, A. M. and Johri B.M. Indian council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. p 157. Al-Qanun Fil-Tibb. Avicenna. (English translation of the critical Arabic text), Book 2, 1998. Hameed, H. A. (editor), Dept. of Islamic Studies, Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University), New Delhi. pp 416-417. Hamdard Pharmcopoeia of Eastern medicine, 1969. Said, H. M. (editor), The Times Press, Sadar Karachi. pp 81, 120, 122-123, 130-131, 269-270. Indusyunic Medicine, 1997. Usmanghani, K., Saeed, A. and Alam, M. T. Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi. pp 316-317. Unani Adwiyah Mufradah, 1984. Ali, Saifuddin, A. (3rd edi.). Taraqi-e-Urdu Bureau, R. K. Puram, New Delhi. pp 238-240. | ||||
| Remarks | Gaozaban is an important drug of Unani system of medicine. It is in use since ancient time. It is extensively used as a single drug a well as in compound formulations. Its dried leaves are sold in the market as Berg-e-gaozaban. Flowers are also sold separately under the name gule-e-gaozaban. In the market the gaozaban samples are found having the leaves of the following plants. 1. Onosma bracteatum. 2. Trichodesma indicum. Lisan al-thaur is the Arabic name of this drug. In European English books of Unani this drug is mentioned under the botanical name Borago officinalis Linn. But the drug which is procured from Khurasan is the real gaozaban (Avicenna). Its leaves are thick, spotted on one surface, as a matter of fact, are the marks left after removal of spines or spikes. According to the description these characteristics are found in the plant of Borago officinalis. Moreover, its name is entered in the list of the drugs which are exported from Iran. It has now become evident that the drug which is obtained from Borago officinalis is correct. But the museum samples of gaozaban are found mixed with the leaves of O. bracteatum and T. indicum. Both these plants are found in India and Pakistan and are being sold and used under the name of gaozaban. Avicenna (Ibn Sina), Kabiruddin and Saifuddin have mentioned the source of goazaban - Borago officinalis. (Fam. Boraginaceae). Said has recognized the source of gaozaban as Onosma bracteatum. Wahid and Siddiqui have mentioned Caccinia glauca Savi. as the source of Burg e-gaozaban. Avicenna states about goazaban that it purifies the pneuma and blood in the heart. He has included this drug among sixty-three cardiac drugs. The drug looks controversial in Unani classical literature after seeing the statements of the above physicians. Used in the form of infusion prepared in hot or cold water is a good substitute for Sarsaparilla. | |||||
| Last renewal date | 2024/02/22 | |||||
