Health

The importance accorded to Mandukaparni is not merely a modern interpretation of Ayurveda. Charaka specifically mentions the fresh juice of Mandukaparni among the Medhya Rasayanas, together with Yashtimadhu, Guduchi and Shankhapushpi. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India officially identifies Mandukaparni as Centella asiatica, while the Ministry of AYUSH’s e-Charak medicinal-plant database identifies the whole plant as the medicinal raw material.

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India identifies the medicinal drug Talisa as the dried leaves of Abies webbiana Lindl., belonging to the Pinaceae family. Modern botanical databases, however, treat Abies webbiana as a synonym of the currently accepted name Abies spectabilis (D.Don) Mirb. Thus, both names may appear in Ayurvedic books, pharmacopoeias and herbal products.

The initiative is being supported through programmes of the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), the National AYUSH Mission (NAM) and the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), with a growing focus on cultivation, processing, quality testing, market access and value addition.

Pushkaramula is not the same plant as orris root. Orris root generally refers to the dried rhizomes of certain Iris species used mainly in perfumery and traditional European herbal preparations. Ayurvedic Pushkaramula refers specifically to the root and rhizome of Inula racemosa. Confusing the two can lead to incorrect identification and inappropriate medicinal use.