jivaka :

Substitute:

Jivaka is substituted with Vidari (Pueraria tuberose) , Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) or Centaurea behen, Ashwagandha(Withania somnifera), Safed Musli(Chlorophytum borivilianum) andLillium wallichianum (Balkrishna et al2012)

Adultrants:

-Malaxis acuminata D Don syn Microstylis wallichii Lindl is an important ingredient of an important polyherbal Ayurvedic formulation Ashtavarga. This species is variously known as Jivakah (as per the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India), Jivya, Dirghayu, Cirajivi (in Sanskrit), Jeevak (in Hindi and English), Jeevakam (in Malayalam and Tamil), Jeevakamu (in Telugu). These different names (for the same identity) generally lead to misidentification, unintentional adulteration etc with an adverse impact on its potency.

Due to its widespread demand andlimited availability it is being extremelyadulterated by rootstock of Ipomoeadigitata (Chinmay et al 2011)

Controversy:

-Rshabhaka(Malaxis muscifera)

Commercial value:

The species is of great medicinal significance. Its dried pseudobulbs form an ingredient of ‘Ashtavarga’ [a group of eight drugs, namely Jivak, Rishbhak, Mahameda, Meda, Kakoli, Khirkakoli, Ridhi and Bridhi (Singh, 2006)] used in the preparation of Ayurvedic tonic ‘Chyavanprash’. The tonic is energizing, cures tuberculosis, and enhances sperm formation (Chauhan, 1990; Govindarajan et al., 2007). Extensive pressure of commercial collection and habitat destruction have detrimentally affected the size and frequency of its natural populations which even otherwise stand impaired because of poor fruit set and slow vegetative propagation.

M. acuminata is the main ingredient of Chyawanaprash

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