Crude drug sample data base

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Crude drug name

Market nameHalela Zard
Urudu nameHalilah zard
Arabic name /
Persian name		Halilaj asghar / Halilah
English nameChebulic-Myrobalan
Original plant nameTerminalia chebula Retz., Chebulic-Myrobalan
Family nameCombretaceae
Used partClassificationPlant origin
Sub classification fruit
Collection informationIslamic Republic of Pakistan, Karachi [Karachi], Sind, Amjad Unani Medicine (Pvt.) Ltd.
Collection date1994/1/22
CollectorTsuneo Namba
IdentifierJaved Ahmad
DescriptionFeatures:
The large sized variety consisting of semi-mature fruits which are upto 8m long and 2.5cm in diameter at the thickest part. These are oblong, ovoid or club shaped, with a longitudinally wrinkled surface of greenish yellow or golden brown colour, having five ribs running from apex to the base. The fruit contains a single stony seed of light yellow colour.
The small sized variety of young immature fruits which are upto 2.5cm long and 8mm broad at the thickest part. Ovoid or often dorsally compressed with a longitudinally wrinkled surface and dark brown to black colour. Odour - none; taste - astringent (bitter in the case of small variety).
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Collection information
Islamic Republic of Pakistan,Karachi [Karachi], Sind
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Scientific information data base

Crude drug nameUrudu name,
English name		Halilah siyah, Halilah zard, Chebulic-Myrobalan
Arabic name / Persian nameHalilaj aswad, Halilaj asghar / Halilah zangi, Halilah
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Original plant nameTerminalia chebula Retz.
Family nameCombretaceae
Used partFruits
Distribution areaFound in the sub-Himalayan tracts from the Ravi Eastwards to West Bengal and Assam, ascending upto 1,500 meters in the Himalayas. Also in deciduous forest of India. Fruits ripen from November to March, depending upon the locality, and fall soon after ripening.
DescriptionFruits of Terminalia chebula is of three kinds, (a) Halilah Siyah, (b) Halilah zard and (c) Halilah Kabuli. The fruits of all the three kinds are obtained from the same plant. All the three stages (of the fruits) are described in Unani literature. These kinds of Halilaj, based on the shape, colour, size of fruit and geographical origin have been mentioned in Unani literature. The morphological and colour difference 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 brown colour, are preferred for medicinal use.

Avicenna (Ibn Sina) also mentioned various kinds (a) Unripe yellow coloured variety, (b) Indian black variety which is fully ripe and more compact, (c) Kabuli variety which is relatively bigger in size and (d) Chinese variety which is thin and light.

Yellow coloured drug is said to be hotter in temperament as compared to the black variety. Indian variety is less cold than the Kabuli variety. All types of chebulic myrobalans are cold in the first and dry in the second degree (Avicenna).
Function and propertiesCosmetics, Swellings, Head, Eye, Respiration, Chest and other organs, Excretion, Fevers.

All of its kinds mitigate 'hotness' of bile and prove useful for such ailments (Avicenna). Anti-diarrhoeal/anti-diarrheal, astringent, alterative, aperient, carminative, stomachic, absorbent, ripe fruits have purgative effects on humours.
Specific actionsAstringent, stomach and brain tonic.
Frequency in useAbundant in N. India.
Common usesCosmetics: Black variety improves the complexion.

Swellings: All kinds of myrobalans are useful in leprosy.

Head: The Kabuli variety is beneficial for the sense organs, memory and intellect. It is also useful in headache.

Eye: A collyrium prepared from the yellow variety is useful in paralysis of eyes. It prevents infiltration of harmful matters towards the eyes.

Respiration. Its oral intake is useful for treating cases of palpitation and melancholy.

Chest and other organs: Chebulic myrobalan is useful in splenalgia and disorders of the gastro-intestinal tract. Both varieties of black chebulic myrobalans are used as a preserve to strengthen the stomach. It digests the foods and strengthens the gastric follicles by virtue of its expellent depurative and absorbent properties. Both the yellow and black varieties enhance the digestive action of the stomach. Chinese variety is weaker than the Kabuli variety. The latter is depurant and useful in dropsy.

Excretion: The Kabuli and Indian varieties when used after frying it in olive oil, cause constipation. The yellow variety evacuates the yellow bile and also phlegm to some extent. The black variety evacuates the black bile and proves useful in piles. Kabuli variety evacuates both the black bile and phlegm. It is said that the Kabuli variety is useful for treating colic.

Fevers: Kabuli variety is useful in chronic fevers.
Side effectProlonged or continuous use as simple or in compound preparations is not advised.
Medical systemUnani
Traditional conceptTemperamentIt is cold in the first degree and dry in the second degree (Kabiruddin).
Drug effectTonic to stomach and brain.
Dosage5 to 7gm.
SubstituteAvicenna (Ibn Sina) believes that the peels of pomegranate act as substitute for yellow myrobalans.
Bahera (Terminalia belerica Roxb.), fruit; Aftimun (Cuscuta reflexa Roxb.), seeds and Afsantin (Artemisia absinthium Linn.).
Corrigent (corrective)Unnab (Ziziphus vulgaris Linn.), fruit and Sapistan (Cordia latifolia Roxb.), fruit.
Important compound preparationsItrifal Zamani, Itrifal Kishnizi, Ma`jun Mochras, Ma`jun Nisyan and Ma`jun Halila.
ReferencesReference book　

Tips！

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.

Indian Materia Medica, Vols. 1-2, 1976 (Repr. 1989). Nadkarni, A.K., Popular Prakashan Pvt. Ltd., Bombay
Vol. 1, pp 1205-1210.

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 86-89.

Makhzanul-Mufradat (Khawasul Adviyah), Hakeem Kabiruddin, Daftar Al-Masih, Qarol Bagh, Delhi.
pp 589-591.

A Survey of Drugs, 1961 (2nd edi.). Wahid, A. K. and Siddiqui, H. H. Institute of History of Medicine and Medical Research, Delhi.
pp 8-10.

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 227.

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 465-466.

Hamdard Pharmcopoeia of Eastern medicine, 1969. Said, H. M. (editor), The Times Press, Sadar Karachi.
pp 66, 70, 288, 290-291, 292.

Indusyunic Medicine, 1997. Usmanghani, K., Saeed, A. and Alam, M. T. Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi.
pp 421-422.

Unani Adwiyah Mufradah, 1984. Ali, Saifuddin, A. (3rd edi.). Taraqi-e-Urdu Bureau, R. K. Puram, New Delhi.
pp 280-281.

RemarksNo controversy is reported in the drug. It is used in the preparation of exhilarants. These are prescribed as cardiac stimulants and general tonic. It is an important drug and used in Unani system of medicine. It is in the list of indigenous drugs added by Unani physicians to their Materia Medica.
Last renewal date2024/02/22
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