Crude drug sample data base
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Crude drug name | Market name | Zafran |
|---|---|---|
| Urudu name | Za`faran | |
| Arabic name / Persian name | Za`faran / Kurkum | |
| English name | Saffron | |
| Original plant name | Crocus sativus Linn., Saffron | |
| Family name | Iridaceae | |
| Used part | Classification | Plant origin | Sub classification | others |
| Collection information | People's Republic of Bangladesh, Dacca [Dhaka] , Essa Bros. & Co. | |
| Collection date | 1964/3/6 | |
| Collector | Tsuneo Namba | |
| Identifier | Javed Ahmad | |
| Description | The drug consists of dried stigmas along with upper parts of styles of Crocus sativus. Features: Two varieties of saffron are available in commerce. (I) Mogra: It consists of dried stigma of deep red colour with the style cut and removed beyond the length of 10mm. The upper extremity of each stigma spreads out to form a flat lamina having a dentate margin. The material occurs loose. It emits strong characteristic smell and has a slightly bitter taste. This variety is considered superior and preferred for medicinal use. (ii) Lachaa: Dried stigma along with the long, tubular gradually tapering style of yellowish colour, upto 25mm. in length. A number of such stigmas are tied together to form a bunch. This is a cheaper variety used mainly as food flavour. Odour - strong; taste - aromatic, warm and bitter. | |
| TMPW No. | 9686 | |
The capital city, provincial capital city or the representative
location of its administrative area is indicated.
location of its administrative area is indicated.
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 | Za`faran, Saffron | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic name / Persian name | Za`faran / Kurkum | |||
| crude drug image |
| |||
| Original plant name | Crocus sativus Linn. | |||
| Family name | Iridaceae | |||
| Used part | Dried stigmas and tops of styles | |||
| Distribution area | A herb, cultivated in Pampur at 5,300ft. in Kashmir. | |||
| Description | Fresh saffron of good quality is characterized by nice colour (reddish-yellow) and good fragrance. Odour - aromatic, strong and characteristic; taste - bitter. It dissolves in water and makes the water deep yellowish in colour. Choice: It should neither be too compact and thick nor crumbling and it should not easily impart its colour on touch. It should be without fungal infestation. | |||
| Function and properties | Food, Head, Eyes, Chest, Swellings, Excretion. Aromatic, stomachic, aphrodisiac, stimulant, exhilarant, emmenagogue, astringent and dissolvent drug. It is also maturative. It is moderately deobstruent. Its oil is warming. It reverses putrefactive processes and strengthens the viscera. | |||
| Specific actions | Stimulant, exhilarant, emmenagogue and corrective for other drugs. | |||
| Frequency in use | Moderate. | |||
| Common uses | Food: Saffron is used as food colour and flavouring agent. Cosmetics: Its oral use improves the complexion. Head: It is useful in hot swellings of the ear. Eyes: It strengthens eyesight and prevents the morbid matters affecting it. It is useful in day blindness. Its collyrium is beneficial in cases of blue discolouration of the eyes. Chest: It is exhilarant and a cardiac tonic. Saffron oil is inhaled by the patients of diaphragmitis and pleurisy of the false ribs. It acts as an expectorant and strengthens the respiratory organs. Swellings: Saffron is a dissolvent of swellings. It is also painted on erysipelas. Excretion: It is a diuretic and a stimulant of sexual desire. It is prescribed in hardness, blockage, adhesions and malignant ulcers of the uterus. According to some physicians it is given orally to the women suffering from labour pain to facilitate quick delivery. | |||
| Side effect | It induces headache and is harmful for the 'head' in general. It is sedative and it weakens the senses when taken with wine it enhances the intoxication rendering the person uncontrollable. It reduces the appetite in overdose. It weakens the 'kidneys". Chief symptoms following poisoning are flushing of the face, epistaxis, vertigo, vomiting and bradycardia. Abortion may also occur (but rarely). It is said that 13.5gm. of saffron makes a man so overjoyed that, as a result, he dies (of shock). | |||
| Medical system | Unani | |||
| Traditional concept | Temperament | It is hot in second and dry in the first degree. | ||
| Drug effect | It is a beneficial exhilarant and corrective for other drugs. | |||
| Comments | Saffron is used chiefly to colour and flavour foods. It is used as food additive in culinary, bakery and confectionery preparations. | |||
| Dosage | 1 to 2gm. (approximately). | |||
| Substitute | Tukhm Utruj (Citrus medica Linn), citron seed and Qust (Saussurea lappa Clarke). | |||
| Corrigent (corrective) | Anisun (Pimpinella anisum Linn.), Sikanjabeen (Citrus juice with sugar in water) and Zarishk (Berberis vulgaris Linn.). | |||
| Important compound preparations | Dawa ul-Kurkum, Dawa ul-Misk Mo`tadil Sada Jawahar Dar, Muffareh Yaquti Sadah Jawahar Dar and Dabeed ul 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 80-81. 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 184. Avicenna's Tract on Cardiac Drugs and Essays on Arab Cardiotherapy, 1983. Hameed, H. A. Hamdard Foundation Press, Karachi. p 46. National Formulary of Unani Medicine, Part 2, 1998. Government of India, ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Department of Indian Systems of Medicine & Homoeopathy, New Delhi. p 155. Makhzanul-Mufradat (Khawasul Adviyah), Hakeem Kabiruddin, Daftar Al-Masih, Qarol Bagh, Delhi. pp 317-318. A Survey of Drugs, 1961 (2nd edi.). Wahid, A. K. and Siddiqui, H. H. Institute of History of Medicine and Medical Research, Delhi. pp 19-30. 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. pp 59-60. 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 241-242. Al-Jamili Mufradt Al Adwiya Wal Aghziya (1197-1248 A.D.). Ibn al-Baytar. Vols. 1-3, 1985-1999. Central council for Research in Unani Medicine, Janakpuri, New Delhi. Vol. 2, pp 339-342. Indusyunic Medicine, 1997. Usmanghani, K., Saeed, A. and Alam, M. T. Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi. pp 187-180. Unani Adwiyah Mufradah, 1984. Ali, Saifuddin, A. (3rd edi.). Taraqi-e-Urdu Bureau, R. K. Puram, New Delhi. p 174. | ||
| Remarks | The drug has been described by all Greeco-Arab and Indian physicians. Otherwise, the drug is easily available and has problem of adulteration. It has been found to be adulterated by a number of articles, chief among which are anthers of saffron flower, ligulate corolla of marigold, tubular florets of calendula and stigma of maize. The material is sometimes artificially coloured and treated with honey, fat or oil to change the texture and increase the weight. Dried stigma and tops of styles constitute the commercial saffron. | |||
| Last renewal date | 2024/03/21 | |||