Crude drug sample data base

※Click on the image to enlarge it.
Crude drug name

Market nameQurtoom
Urudu nameTukhm e-qurtum
Arabic name /
Persian name		Qurtum / Gul-m'asfar, Khasakdana
English nameWild Saffron, The Safflower, Carthmus Seed
Original plant nameCarthamus tinctorius Linn., Wild Saffron, The Safflower, Carthmus Seed
Family nameCompositae
Used partClassificationPlant origin
Sub classification seed
Collection informationPeople's Republic of Bangladesh, Dacca [Dhaka], Essa Bros. & Co.
Collection date1964/3/6
CollectorTsuneo Namba
IdentifierJaved Ahmad
TMPW No.9608

The capital city, provincial capital city or the representative　　
location of its administrative area is indicated.　　
Production area information
https://ethmed.toyama-wakan.net/img/pin_san.png
23.810332
90.41251809999994
Collection information
People's Republic of Bangladesh,Dacca [Dhaka]
https://ethmed.toyama-wakan.net/img/pin_nyu.png

Scientific information data base

Crude drug nameUrudu name,
English name		Tukhm e-qurtum, Wild Saffron, The Safflower, Carthmus seed
Arabic name / Persian nameQurtum / Gul-m`asfar, Khasakdana
crude drug image
※Click on the image to enlarge it.
Original plant nameCarthamus tinctorius Linn.
Family nameCompositae
Used partSeeds
Distribution areaCultivated throughout a large part of India.
DescriptionThe seeds are whitish in colour, slightly conical and multisided. On breaking the seed, the white glossy kernel appears. After sometimes the seed becomes blackish and the kernel turns yellowish. These kernels are used as drug by the name Tukhm qurtum or Khasakdanah. Its flower yields a dye which is used for dying clothes in remote areas.
Carthum seeds are of two kinds; (a) cultivated carthum and (b) wild carthum. The spikes of the wild variety have some resemblance with cultivated carthum seeds but the leaves of the former are longer. The leaves of the plant grow only at the terminal end of the stalk; the remaining part is leafless. It bears yellow flowers and thin roots which are of no use.
Function and propertiesFood, Chest, Joints, Excretion.

Concoctive and purgative of phlegm, expectorant, clears the irritative conditions of bronchial tubes and voice, aphrodisiac and semenagogue, emmenagogue, diuretic and antiflatulent. Oils of carthum seed and nettle are identical in properties but the former is weaker in action. It is one of those substances which curdles the milk and separates the whey. It is very poor in nutritive value.
Specific actionsAntiflatulent and resolvent, antiphlegmatic, expectorant and purgative for phlegm, diuretic and emmenagogue.
Frequency in useSometimes cultivated for its valuable oil and dye in Punjab.
Common usesFood: Carthum seeds are harmful for the stomach and coagulate the milk therein.

Chest: It cleanses the chest and clears the voice. For catarrhal affections of phlegmatic origin the flowers and seeds of Qurtum act as concoctive and purgative, in asthma, bronchitis, abdominal dropsy, anasarca and in spasmodic colicky pain. Hot infusion of dried flowers is given as a diaphoretic in jaundice, nasal catarrh and muscular rheumatism.

Joints: Oil with sesame oil is useful remedy in application for itch, also applied on painful joints.

Excretion: It relieves colic, if used with fig and evacuates the 'burnt' phlegm. Similarly it proves to be useful in (loss of) sexual desire. Oil obtained from cultivated carthum seeds relaxes the bowels. Used as diuretic and included in emmenagogue preparations as well as in aphrodisiac and semenagogue preparations. Oil from seeds is a valuable oil used in cookery.
Side effectIts large quantities may be harmful for the stomach. In cases of scorpion sting the leaves or fruits of wild carthum are taken orally.
Medical systemUnani
Traditional conceptTemperamentIt is hot in the second and dry in the first degree (Kabiruddin).
It is hot and dry in the first degree.
Drug effectIt is antiflatulent, 'cleanses' the chest, diuretic and emmenagogue.
Dosage5 to 7gm.
SubstituteHabb al-khazra (Pistacia mutica Fisch and Mey. syn. P. terebinthus var. mutica Aitch.), terebinth.
Corrigent (corrective)Anisun (Pimpinella anisum Linn.).
Important compound preparationsJawarish Qurtum, Roghan Qurtum, Ma`jun Qurtum and Ma`jun Murawweh al-arwah.
ReferencesReference book　

Tips！

Indian Materia Medica, Vols. 1-2, 1976 (Repr. 1989). Nadkarni, A.K., Popular Prakashan Pvt. Ltd., Bombay
Vol. 1, pp 278-279.

Makhzanul-Mufradat (Khawasul Adviyah), Hakeem Kabiruddin, Daftar Al-Masih, Qarol Bagh, Delhi.
pp 417-418.

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.
p 43.

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 360-361.

Hamdard Pharmcopoeia of Eastern medicine, 1969. Said, H. M. (editor), The Times Press, Sadar Karachi.
pp 89, 143, 279-280, 283-285.

Indusyunic Medicine, 1997. Usmanghani, K., Saeed, A. and Alam, M. T. Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi.
pp 139-140.

RemarksNo controversy has been reported about this drug. The drug otherwise, is very easily available and have no problem of adulteration.
Avicenna (Ibn Sina) has also described this drug in detail.
Wahid and Siddiqui (1961) have included this drug in the list of drugs used both in Unani and Ayurvedic Systems of Medicine.

Oil is expressed from the seeds and used in cookery, also in adulterating ghee (clarified butter), while the oil-cake is a valuable cattle-feed. The flowers of dye variety saffron, after picking, are dried in the sun, but preferably under shade, and when dry are beaten into powder, sifted and packed ready for the market. Two varieties of safflower are grown in the Bombay state. The oil-seed variety and dye plant variety.
Last renewal date2024/03/18
[close the window]