Abstract

REVIEW ON KULTTHA (DOLICHOS BIFLORUS LINN.) ON THE BASIS OF AYURVEDIC AND MODERN ASPECT

Dr. Pooja Panchaware*, Dr. T. A. Pansare, Dr. D. V. Kulkarni and Dr. Ashwini Makadi

Abstract

Kultha with the botanical name Dolichos biflorus Linn. / Macrotyma uniflorum (Lamk.) is a plant from the Leguminosae family. It’s found in Asia and Africa. In India, It’s grown in southern states like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Kultha is popularly referred to as Kulattha or Kulatthika in Sanskrit and its general name is Horse gram. This plant has a crucial place in Ayurveda. It works on the balancing the doshas of the body. Horse grain may be a storehouse of polyphenols, flavonoids and potent anti-oxidants that keep your body strong, vibrant and young. Kulttha, besides being intrinsically vast in carbohydrate and protein content, also abounds in essential trace minerals like iron, molybdenum and calcium. These insure optimal energy, muscle strength, regulated red blood corpuscle synthesis and fortified bones. Hence, it comes as no surprise that horse grain is being widely consumed globally today, within the sort of the sprouted or boiled seeds, as a health drink made with ground powder, also as in traditional Indian dishes like dals, soups and salads. Ayurveda strongly suggests several formulations where horse grain is employed as a key ingredient for its indispensible medicinal value like Kulathadhi kashayam that has been used extensively in treating health anomalies. Digestive issues, renal stone problems (Ashmari-bhedan), arthritis, inflammatory issues and fever are some common problems which will be treated naturally with Kultha. This review draw the awareness towards the nutritional, medicinal value and therapeutic uses of the Kulttha plant.

Keywords: Kulttha, Dolichos biflorus, Ayurved, nutrition.