gajapippali :
Gajapippali consists of dried, transversely cut pieces of mature female spadix of
Scindapsus officinalis Schoott. (Fam. Araceae); a large epiphytic climber, found all along
the sub-Himalayan tract between an altitude of 330-1000 m in West Bengal, Orissa,
Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman Islands.
Gajapippali fruits look similar to Pippali. But they are much bigger in size and hence they are called Gajapippali (Gaj means elephant).
Taxonomical Classification
Kingdom: Plantae - Plants
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Family: Araceae
Genus: Scindapsus Schott
VERNACULAR NAMES
Sanskrit: Gajakrishna, HastipipaliEnglish: none
Hindi: Gajapeepal
Telugu: Enugopippal
Bengali: Gajapeepal
Marathi: Gajapipalee
Gujarathi: Motopeepar
Tamil: Anaitippalee
Malayalam: Attipali
Kannada: Adkebeeluvalli
Punjabi: Gajapeepal
Synonyms
Synonyms in Ayurveda: gajapippali, cavya pippali, shreyasi, hastimagadha, gaja krishna, hastipippaliGajpippali is pungent, sharp, heating, appetizer, anthelmintic, aphrodisiac and galactagogue. It sharpens the hearing, regulates the bowels and clears the throat. It is aphrodisiac and cardio tonic. It used in Ayurveda, to treat respiratory disorders, throat disorders, asthma, diarrhea, intestinal parasites, rheumatism and arthritis.
Parts used for medicinal purpose
Fruit, Seed, ,Dosage:
2-3 g. in extract (Phant) form.Morphology:
Leaves dark green, large, 12.5-25 by 6.3-15 cm., ovate, elliptic, ovate, or nearly orbicular, caudate-acuminate, base rounded or slightly cordate, primary nerves distinct, petiole 7.5ยท15 cm. broadly winged up to the knee. Peduncle solitary, terminal, much shorter than the petiole. Spathe about 10-15 cm. long, oblong, sub cylindrical, slender-beaked, green without, yellow within. Spadix equaling the spathe, elongating in fruit, greenish yellow. Stigma elongate. Fruiting- hemispheric. Berries, few only ripening fleshy. Seed ovate-cordate. Fruiting spadix sometimes a span long. Stem as thick as the little finger.
Fruit - Occurs in transversely cut circular pieces of about 2.0-3.0 cm in diameter and
2.0-3.5 cm thick, brownish-grey, rough and scaly, cut surface has a central core,
surrounded by fruits enclosing the seed covered partly by aril; odour and taste not
distinct.
Seed - Kidney-shaped, 0.3-0.4 cm wide, 0.4-0.6 cm long, smooth, shiny, greyish-brown
with a dent, odour and taste not distinct.
Histology:
Fruit - Shows more or less loosely arranged, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells having
more or less isodiametric cells filled with brown content and numerous acicular crystals
of calcium oxalate.
Seed - Shows a single layered, oval to polygonal, thin-walled testa followed by 2-3
layered, thick-walled, oval to polygonal, non-lignified, sclereid-like cells having wide
lumen and concentric striations; 2-4 layered, oval to polygonal, thick-walled, lignified
stone cells having very narrow lumen, pitted and with concentric striations; thin-walled,
irregular parenchymatous cells containing oil globules and aleurone grains.
Geographical distribution:
- Tropical Himalayas,Bengal, southwards to Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman.
- Distribution: In forests.
General Use:
- Powdered leaves are taken for 21 days for fever, rheumatism, and pain.
- The leaves or fruits are applied externally for rheumatism.
- The decoction of fruit has expectorant action and given to treat respiratory disorders and asthma.
- The fruits are indicated in diseases that occur due to vitiation of Vata and Kapha.
- The powder of dried fruits is used in asthma, throat infection, intestinal parasites, loose motion, piles, colic and indigestion.
- The Aswagandha roots, Gajapippali fruits, Kosta / Saussurea lappa roots, and the rhizomes of Vach /Sweet Flag, are mixed in powder form and used as breast developer.
Therapeutic Uses:
Atisara, svasa, Krmiroga, Kanda Roga- Anthelmintic: expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body.
- Anti-dysenteric: Relieving or preventing dysentery.
- Antiasthmatic: against asthma.
- Anti-inflammatory: Reducing inflammation by acting on body mechanisms.
- Analgesic: acting to relieve pain.
- Antibacterial: active against bacteria.
- Carminative: Preventing the formation or causing the expulsion of flatulence.
- Diaphoretic: promote sweating.
- Hypoglycemic: Reducing level of the sugar glucose in the blood.
Ayurvedic Formulations:
Common Ayurvedic Formulations of gajapippali with their IndicationsAgasthya Rasayanam - Agasthya Rasayana for asthma
- » Classification and names of gajapippali
- » Synonyms and definitions of gajapippali
- » Drug Properties of gajapippali
- » Chemical Constituents of gajapippali
- » Standardization of gajapippali
- » Parts used and Dosage of gajapippali
- » Morphology and Histology of gajapippali
- » Distribution and Conservation of gajapippali
- » Cultivation of gajapippali
- » gajapippali in the market
- » Medicinal Uses of gajapippali
- » Researches and clinical trails of gajapippali
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