COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE SUBSTITUTES USED IN AYURVEDA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SUBSTITUTES FOR PUSHKARAMULA (INULA RACEMOSA HOOK.F.) VIZ., KUSHTA (SAUSSUREA LAPPA DECNE.) AND ERANDAMULA (RICINUS COMMUNIS L.): A CLINICAL STUDY

Abstract

Ayurvedic literature introduced several substitutes for the herbs which are either not available or which are not accessible for various reasons. On review of more than 35 texts and their commentaries it is found that there are more than 350 substitutes in the Ayurvedic texts from ancient to modern times. Kustha is known to therapeutics since Vedic period (2000 BC). Puskaramula and Erandamula were introduced to Ayurvedic Materia Medica by Agnivesa (500 BC). While mentioning the substitutes of Pushkaramula, Yogaratnakara quoted Kushta and Erandamula as the substitutes. Earlier author studied the pharmacognostical similarities between the three plants. Therefore, in the present study it iss decided to conduct a comparative study using the root powders of these three herbs in subjects (n=90) suffering with Tamaka Swasa (Bronchial Asthma) divided into three groups. The results are suggestive that all the trial herbs have comparable therapeutic benefits in the subjects of Tamaka Swasa. While Kustha and Puskaramula have chemical as well as therapeutic similarity, Erandamula and pushkaramula shared only therapeutic similarity though chemically dissimilar. Thiss paper emphasizes the need for the identification of cost effective substitutes basing on the text in place of endangered or extinct medicinal plants.