Crude drug sample data base
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Crude drug name | Market name | Afsantin |
|---|---|---|
| Urudu name | Afsantin | |
| Arabic name / Persian name | Afsantin, Khatraq / Mave-bakhushah, Murdah | |
| English name | Worm-wood, Absinth | |
| Original plant name | Artemisia absinthium Linn., Worm-wood, Absinth | |
| Family name | Compositae | |
| Used part | Classification | Plant origin | Sub classification | flower + leaf |
| Collection information | Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Karachi [Karachi], Sind , Amjad Unani Medicine (Pvt.) Ltd. | |
| Collection date | 1994/1/22 | |
| Collector | Tsuneo Namba | |
| Identifier | Javed Ahmad | |
| Description | Features: A perennial, silky or pubescent herbacious plant, very aromatic, stem erect angular, ribbed, 0.3 to 0.9m. Leaves ovate or obovate, 2.5 to 5cm, unequally 2 to 3 pinnatifidly cut into spreading linear or lanceolate obtuse segments, hoary on both surfaces. Flowers yellow, flower heads mostly arranged in large cymes. Heads are heterogamous i.e. bearing both male and female, hermaphrodite flowers. The female flowers are erey-floret. While the hermaphrodite ones are disk-floret. | |
| TMPW No. | 14420 | |
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Production area information
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Collection information
Islamic Republic of Pakistan,Karachi [Karachi], Sind
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Scientific information data base
| Crude drug name | Urudu name, English name | Afsantin, Worm-wood, Absinth | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic name / Persian name | Afsantin, Khatraq / Mave-bakhushah, Murdah | ||||
| crude drug image |
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| Original plant name | Artemisia absinthium Linn. | ||||
| Family name | Compositae | ||||
| Used part | Flower / Leaves | ||||
| Distribution area | It is commonly found in Western Asian countries. It is found in India, Afghanistan and Iran. In India it is found in Kashmir and Kurrum vally at 5,000 - 7,500 ft. | ||||
| Description | It is fragrant, bitter grass, resembling the leaves of S`atar (Zataria multiflora Boiss.). It has many varieties. The ancient physicians and modern physicians believe that afsantin has five varieties-al Tarsusi, Susi, Nabti, Khurasani and the Rumi. The Nabti variety has a good smell. The Susi and Tarsusi varieties are the best. They are ash coloured and when rubbed, give a smell resembling that of aloe wood. The extract of afsantin is hotter. | ||||
| Function and properties | Cosmetics, Swellings and pimples, Wounds and ulcers, Organs of the head, Ocular organs, Respiratory organs and the chest, Alimentary organs, Excretory organs, Fever. Tonic for brain, liver and stomach, Astringent, Deobstruent, Resolvent, Diuretic. The herb possesses febrifuge, stomachic, diaphoretic, antiseptic and slightly narcotic properties. It is aromatic, increases appetite and promotes digestion. | ||||
| Specific actions | Anti-inflammatory (resolvent), antiperiodic, tonic for major organs of the body. | ||||
| Frequency in use | Common in Kashmir. | ||||
| Common uses | Cosmetics: It improves the complexion. It is useful for alopecia, furfuracia, removes the violet coloured patches beneath the eyes etc. Swellings and pimples: It is useful for urticaria when applied after mixing it with the flour. Wounds and ulcers: It is useful for internal hardness if applied as a plaster or taken orally. Organs of the head: It is helpful in internal diptheria if applied on the palate with sodium nitrate. It is used in parotitis, earache and otorrhoea/otorrhea and also helps in coma if administered with honey. Ocular organs. Afsantin, especially its Nabti variety is useful for chronic conjunctivitis if applied as a plaster below the eyes. Respiratory organs and the chest: Syrup prepared from afsantin is useful for spasm under the epigastrium. Alimentary organs: It improves appetite. Its extract strengthens the stomach. It is also beneficial for jaundice. Its extract helps in dropsy when regularly used for ten days. Its plaster, made of fig, orris root and natrun (Sodium nitrate) is useful for spleen. Afsantin when taken along with Sumbul (Nard) cures gastralgia. An ointment made of Afsantin and henna oil is useful for the pain in the liver and hips. Excretory organs: It acts as a strong diuretic or emmenagogue when used as pessary with hydromel and acts as a purgative for the yellow bile. Fever: Its extract is useful for chronic fevers. | ||||
| Side effect | It produces dryness in the head, its extract causes headache. The vapours arising from its decoction, when inhaled soothe the earache. It is useful in intoxication if used before drinking wine. The astringency is stronger than its bitterness. Due to this factor its presence in the stomach does not expel the phlegm and gives no relief from phlegm. It does not help in removing the phlegm or intestinal obstruction. Afsantin when cooked along with lentil or rice and eaten, it kills the worms. The whole plant of Afsantin, is harmful for the cardiac orifice because of its salty nature. | ||||
| Medical system | Unani | ||||
| Traditional concept | Temperament | It is hot and dry in the second degree. | |||
| Drug effect | In suitable combination made as paste and applied over the corresponding area of abdomen to reduce liver and spleen inflammation. Traditionally it has been used to avoid insect attack in clothes. Afsantin protects clothes from moths and other insects, if added in the ink, prevents the ink from fading and protects the paper from deterioration. Its sprinkling prevents bugs and books are not nibbled by rats if its extract is mixed into the ink. | ||||
| Dosage | 2 Masha -5 Masha (2 - 5gm.) | ||||
| Substitute | Germander or Armenian worm wood are the substitutes. Asarun (Indian Valerian) with chebulic myrobalan in similar quantity of the asarun is substitute for strengthening the stomach. | ||||
| Related drugs | Artemisia siversiana Willd. It is also found in Kashmir. It is used as an adulterant. In market samples, the flowers and leaf fragments of this species are found mixed with afsantin. | ||||
| Corrigent (corrective) | Sherbat Anar dana (Punica granatum Linn.), syrup of pomegranate; Anisun (Pimpinella anisum Linn.), anise and Mastagi (Pistacia lentiscus Linn.), mastich. | ||||
| Important compound preparations | Habbe-afsantin, Roghan-afsantin, Sherbat-afsantin. | ||||
| 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 25-26. 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 145. 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 2, pp 1-6. Makhzanul-Mufradat (Khawasul Adviyah), Hakeem Kabiruddin, Daftar Al-Masih, Qarol Bagh, Delhi. pp 80-81. A Survey of Drugs, 1961 (2nd edi.). Wahid, A. K. and Siddiqui, H. H. Institute of History of Medicine and Medical Research, Delhi. pp 55-58. 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 22. 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 67-69. 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. 1, pp 67-69. Indusyunic Medicine, 1997. Usmanghani, K., Saeed, A. and Alam, M. T. Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi. pp 110-111. Unani Adwiyah Mufradah, 1984. Ali, Saifuddin, A. (3rd edi.). Taraqi-e-Urdu Bureau, R. K. Puram, New Delhi. p 38. | |||
| Remarks | Avicenna (Ibn Sina), Ibn al-Baytar and Indian Unani physicians have described this drug in detail. Habitual use may cause absinthism shown by restlessness, vomiting, vertigo, tremors and convulsions. Afsantin acts as an antidote for the bite of sea dragon, scorpion, mole and for the poisonous effect of hemlock seeds if taken with wine. It relieves choking of the throat caused by (eating) poisonous worms, if used with vinegar. Decoction of afsantin is its best form for utilization. | ||||
| Last renewal date | 2024/02/22 | ||||
