Indian Licorice / Rosary Pea / Jequirity

HERBAL GARDEN

Vivek college of Ayurvedic Sciences & Hospital Bijnor UP

गुंजा

Classification

Synoyms

Gunja (Sanskrit)
Ratti (used as weight standard in ancient India)
Krishna Gunja (black variety), Shweta Gunja (white), Rakta Gunja (red)
Jequirity bean
Chanothi (in regional languages)

Habit

Climbing, twining herbaceous vine

Habitat

Widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of India and other Asian countries. Grows wild in bushes, forests, field margins, and hedges.

Morphology

A slender, perennial, twining climber
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound with 5–15 pairs of leaflets
Flowers: Small, pale violet to pink, papilionaceous, in clusters
Pods: Flat, oblong, 2–4 cm long
Seeds: Bright red with a black spot (Rakta Gunja), highly attractive but toxic

Chemical Composition

Abrin – highly toxic toxalbumin , Glycyrrhizin-like compounds , Flavonoids , Alkaloids , Triterpenoids , Abrine (alkaloid) , Proteins, Saponins , Fixed oils

Guna-Karma

Rasa-Tikta , Kashaya
Guna–Laghu , Tikshna
Virya-Ushna
Vipaka–Katu
Karma –Vedanasthapana , Shothahara , Lekhana , Vrishya , Kaphahara , Kushtaghna
Doshakarma –Kapha-Vatahara

Medicinal uses

Seed powder (purified) used in joint pain, arthritis, and paralysis.
Used externally as paste for skin diseases, eczema, vitiligo, and alopecia.
White variety is used as aphrodisiac and in infertility treatments (after purification).
Effective in toothache (seed paste applied externally).
Root and leaves are used in fever, cough, and as an emetic (in small doses).
Leaves have mild expectorant and anthelmintic action.

Useful Part

Seeds (after purification), Root, Leaves

Doses

Seed powder (Shodhita): 30–125 mg
Root powder: 1–3 g
Leaf juice: 10–15 ml

Important Formulation

Gunja Taila
Gunja Lepa
Gunja Beeja Churna
Kushta-hara yogas

Shloka

गुञ्जा तिक्तोष्णा तीक्ष्णा कुष्ठार्तिशोथवातनुत् |
लेखनी च कफघ्नी च व्रणेषु परमौषधम् ||

Hindi Name

रत्ती

English Name