A systematic review on the Indian drug Tinospora cordifolia in homoeopathic aspect

Dr Vignesh Vassudev Naik

ABSTRACT: –
Tinospora cordifolia is one of the lesser know remedy of Homoeopathy. But in Ayurvedic system of medicine it is used extensively for the treatment of various maladies. This article presents some of the important symptoms and signs about the drug from Homoeopathic perspective.

KEYWORDS: – Homoeopathy, Tinospora cordifolia, Antidiabetic, Febrifuge, Indian quinine.

INTRODUCTION: –
Ayurvedic system of medicine is originated from India. It is one of the oldest systems of medicine. Many medicines which are very well known for their curative purpose in system of Ayurveda has been also explored in System of Homoeopathic medicine in Past many years. We Indian Homoeopaths, in Homoeopathy are using this therapeutic knowledge of plants source from Ayurvedic system of medicines to expand our Homoeopathic Materia Medica.

Likewise in this article, I want to highlight the therapeutic effect of this drug ‘Tinospora cordifolia’ which is known as ‘Indian quinine’(febrifuge), and also used as Anti-diabetic drug in Ayurvedic system of medicine; about this same drug I have tried here to gather information from available homoeopathic literature and have summarised it.

• Common names: – Gulancha, Amritvalli, Guruchi, heart-leaved, Gulancha. ⁽¹⁾
• Botanical name: -Tinospora cordifolia Miers ⁽²⁾
• Family: – Menispermaceae ⁽²⁾
• Distribution: – Throughout warmer parts of India.
• Parts used to prepare medicine: – The steam and root, which possess bitter taste. ⁽³⁾
• History and authority: – Proved and introduced by Ghose: Drugs of Hindoosthan, 304, ed. V. ⁽²⁾

Therapeutic uses: –
Fevers; seminal debility; dyspepsia, jaundice, urinary problems, skin diseases, diarrhoea and dysentery; heart diseases; leprosy; helminthiasis and rheumatoid arthritis; splenic affections; secondary syphilis; Genito-urinary problems; gonorrhoea. ⁽⁴⁾

Mind: – Dullness sluggishness, difficulty in thinking and comprehending.

• Depression despondency, melancholy.

 Fever: –  

• Traditionally it was used as an excellent febrifuge and have named it as ‘Indian quinine’ by Hindu physicians.
• They have found it to be a bitter tonic and strength-giving.
• It is used for debility caused by repeated attacks of fever.
• In malaria it is more efficacious than quinine, also used in intermittent fever.
• Excellent remedy in acute and chronic malarial fevers. Temperature generally rises in the afternoon with chilliness or shaking chills; there is bilious vomiting associated with thirst and headache.
• In chronic slow fever along with history of Gonorrhoea and weakness it works well.
• Can be used in cases where there is excessive use or maladministration of quinine, if the fever continues, if burning sensation is felt in face, hands, and feet, if there be enlargement of the liver and spleen jaundice with yellow colour of the eyes, no desire for food, and headache.
• Fever with bilious vomiting associated with thirst and headache. ⁽³⁾

Urinary: –It has powerful action on the urinary tract; the patient passes only a small quantity of urine at a time, passes it frequently and there is burning while urinating and the urine is mixed with pus-like discharge. It works best in Gonorrhoea and syphilis. ⁽¹⁾

Heart: – Excessive palpitation due to severe weakness or excessive seminal emission. ⁽¹⁾

Dose commonly used: – Mother tincture, 2x, 3x, 6x. ⁽³⁾ 

Research done using this drug: – By various below mentioned researches it is seen that this drug is having Anti-diabetic properties.

1. A Review by Rohit Sharma and their team has spotlighted the classical antidiabetic claims of Tinospora and their validation by contemporary research. Evidence from reported studies suggests the multi-faceted effects of the drug to prevent, reverse, or even delay the sequences of diabetes pathology via many overlapping extrapancreatic(primarily) and intrapancreatic mechanisms of action. ⁽⁵⁾
2. A review of Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of T. cordifolia by Prashant Tiwari and the team has concluded by stating that the compounds such as alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, saponins, flavonoids, tannins and steroids isolated from Tinospora cordifolia possess anti-diabetic property. Hence, it makes it possible to have wide application in clinical as well as experimental studies. ⁽⁶⁾
3. The article by Dr. Tanuj Rajvanshy and Dr. Jasmeet Patel, has mentioned the root extract of Tinospora cord. shows antihyperglycemic effect in alloxan induced diabetic model by decreasing its excess glucose level in urine as well as in blood to a range of normal. ⁽⁷⁾
4. In the research paper, M. Rajalakshmi and the team have done a study on the Anti-diabetic properties of T. cordifolia stem extracts on Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and concluded that the administration of the drug Tinospora cordifolia is safe to use. As per the study, Acute toxicity studies revealed the non-toxic nature of the methanol extract of T. cordifolia. Administration of extracts to normal animals does not alter the blood glucose level which is evidenced. The increased blood glucose in the diabetic condition is gradually reduced and almost nearer to normal after 90 days by the administration of Tinospora cordifolia. ⁽⁸⁾

Conclusion: –

• Many Indian Homoeopaths have been clinically using it with excellent results for A few years. ⁽³⁾
• Tinospora cordifolia possesses a wide range of therapeutic virtues in multifarious diseases which have been highly extolled by all schools of Medicine.
• Likewise in Homoeopathy we can do further drug proving on healthy individual using different potency (drug strength) of this drug, on different individual of both sex and having different age group to expand the details about this particular drug in our Homoeopathic Materia Medica.

REFERENCES

1. Boericke W. Boericke’s New Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica with Repertory: Including Indian Drugs, Nosodes, Uncommon Rare Remedies, Mother Tinctures, Relationships, Sides of the Body, Drug Affinities, & List of Abbreviations. B Jain Publishers; 2007. p. 1001.
2. Varma PN, Indu V. Encyclopaedia of homoeopathic pharmacopoeia with fingerprint testing, standardization methods, clinical uses and prescribed potencies. In Encyclopaedia of homoeopathic pharmacopoeia with fingerprint testing, standardization methods, clinical uses and prescribed potencies 1995. pp. 907.
3. Ghose SC. Drugs of Hindoosthan. 165, Bow Bazar Street, Calcutta: Hahnemann Publishing Co,; p. 340-344
4. Murphy R. Lotus Materia Medica. 3rd Edition. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers (P) ltd; 2006. p. 1963-1964
5. Sharma R, Amin H, Prajapati PK. Antidiabetic claims of Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers: critical appraisal and role in therapy. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 2015 Jan 1;5(1):68-78.
6. Tiwari P, Nayak P, Prusty SK, Sahu PK. Phytochemistry and pharmacology of Tinospora cordifolia: A review. Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy. 2018;9(1):70-8.
7. Rajvanshy T, Kalyan S, Jasmeet P, Medica M, Patel J. Tinospora cordifolia: A fountain of life force. ~ 31 ~ International Journal of Homoeopathic Sciences [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2022 Aug 25];4(4):31–3.
8. Rajalakshmi M, Eliza J, Priya CE, Nirmala A, Daisy P. Anti-diabetic properties of Tinospora cordifolia stem extracts on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Afr J Pharm Pharmacol. 2009 May 1;3(5):171-80.

Dr Vignesh Vassudev Naik
PG scholar part – I
Department of Organon of Medicine and Homoeopathic Philosophy
Father Muller Homoeopathic college and Hospital Deralakatte, Mangalore