Crude drug sample data base
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Crude drug name | Market name | Banafsha (Gul) |
|---|---|---|
| Urudu name | Gul e-banafshaa | |
| Arabic name / Persian name | Farfir, Banafsaj / Kokash | |
| English name | Sweet violet | |
| Original plant name | Viola pilosa Blume syn. Viola serpens Wall., Sweet violet | |
| Family name | Violaceae | |
| Used part | Classification | Plant origin | Sub classification | flower |
| 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: Interwoven or bunched mass of dry flowers, borne on long wiry peduncles with young and old leaves. The flowers are spurred, 5 to 6mm long and upto 4-5mm broad. These are borne terminally in a nodding position on peduncles. The colour of the flower is lilac or pink which fades to yellowish white on longer storage. Odour - mild, agreeable; taste - acrid with sweetish after taste. | |
| TMPW No. | 14516 | |
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
https://ethmed.toyama-wakan.net/img/pin_san.png
25.0700428
67.2847875
Collection information
Islamic Republic of Pakistan,Karachi [Karachi], Sind
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Scientific information data base
| Crude drug name | Urudu name, English name | Gul e-banafshaa, Sweet violet | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic name / Persian name | Farfir, Banafsaj / Kokash | |||||
| crude drug image |
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| Original plant name | Viola pilosa Blume syn. Viola serpens Wall. | |||||
| Family name | Violaceae | |||||
| Used part | Flowers, Leaves | |||||
| Distribution area | Viola pilosa syn. V. serpens is found throughout hilly regions of North India (Jammu & Kashmir; Himachal Pradesh). | |||||
| Description | 'Banafsha' is a well-known drug. The action of its root is identical to that of the whole plant of violet. Its leaves undoubtedly are cold. They are rounded. The stem is sky coloured and the flowers are pink. Flowers are fragrant. The whole herb including leaves and flowers are used medicinally. | |||||
| Function and properties | Pimples and inflammations, Ulcers and wounds, Organs of the head, Ocular organs, Chest, Excretory organs, Fevers, Stomach. Antipyretic, diaphoretic, diuretic, astringent, aperient, demulcent, emetic and pectoral. | |||||
| Specific actions | Aperient (mild laxative) and pectoral. | |||||
| Frequency in use | Very common. | |||||
| Common uses | Ulcers and wounds: The oil, as a paint, is very useful in scabies. Organs of the head: Inhaling Sweet Violet (flowers) as well as an application of paint made from it, relieves from congestive headache. Ocular organs: It is useful in hot conjunctivitis. Chest: Banafsaj, especially its preserve made in sugar, is useful in hot cough and it relaxes the chest (lungs). Its syrup is useful in pleurisy and pneumonia. Excretory organs: Syrup of Banafsaj is useful in nephralgia. It is diuretic. When taken dry, it expels bile. It is beneficial for prolepse of uterus and rectum. Fevers: It is used to neutralize the excessive biliousness, counteracting the fevers, quenching the thirst and lessening the blood heat. Stomach: Its syrup and conserve (gulqand) made of flowers are effective in relieving constipation. Decoction is effective against bilious affections. The drug (flowers and leaves) is useful for cough, catarrh and coryza. An oil is extracted from the fresh flowers of violet (after adding / mixing sesamum or sweet almond), it is then applied on head for moistening of brain and inducing a deep sleep. | |||||
| Side effect | It is said that it produces the blood of moderate temperament. In large doses it may cause stomachache, gastroenteritis, vomiting, nervousness and circulatory depression. | |||||
| Medical system | Unani | |||||
| Traditional concept | Temperament | It is cold and moist in the first degree. | ||||
| Drug effect | It is very beneficial as aperient, as well as the drug effect is distressing / agonizing. | |||||
| Dosage | 5 to 7 gm. | |||||
| Related drugs | Viola odorata Linn. is considered to be the real source of Banafsha. It is found in Afghanistan, Iran and countries of Mediterranean region from where it is used to be imported till sometimes back. The drug presently available in the market is a mixture of more than one species of Viola described here. The properties of this material are considered as similar to Viola odorata. The following species of Viola are found mixed in commercial material of India. 1. Viola patrinii Ging. It is found in temperate Himalayas, 4,000-8,000 ft, from Kashmir to Bhutan, Khasia Hills and Western Tibet. 2. Viola cineria Boiss. It is found in Punjab, Sind, Baluchistan and Waziristan, It is also found in Khasia Hills and Nilgiri Mountains. | |||||
| Corrigent (corrective) | Nilofar (Nelumbium nuciferum Gaertn.) and Marzanjosh (Origanum marjorana Linn.). | |||||
| Important compound preparations | Habb-Banafsha, Khamira Banafsha, Roghan Banafsha and Sherbat Banafsha. | |||||
| 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 p 255. 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 196. Indian Materia Medica, Vols. 1-2, 1976 (Repr. 1989). Nadkarni, A.K., Popular Prakashan Pvt. Ltd., Bombay Vol. 1, p 1274. Makhzanul-Mufradat (Khawasul Adviyah), Hakeem Kabiruddin, Daftar Al-Masih, Qarol Bagh, Delhi. pp 138-139. 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 242. 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. p 111. 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. pp 287-289. Hamdard Pharmcopoeia of Eastern medicine, 1969. Said, H. M. (editor), The Times Press, Sadar Karachi. pp 96, 121, 143, 176. Indusyunic Medicine, 1997. Usmanghani, K., Saeed, A. and Alam, M. T. Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi. pp 440-441. Unani Adwiyah Mufradah, 1984. Ali, Saifuddin, A. (3rd edi.). Taraqi-e-Urdu Bureau, R. K. Puram, New Delhi. p 82. | ||||
| Remarks | Avicenna (Ibn Sina) and Ibn al-Baytar have described this drug in detail. In India a medicinal oil is prepared from the flowers of Viola pilosa syn. V. serpens and is sold as Raughan-i-Banafsha. | |||||
| Last renewal date | 2024/02/22 | |||||
