Abstract

HARITAKI A REVIEW

Kalyani U. Chande*, Nikhil S. Ekhande, Purvarja L. Deshpande and Shweta S. Aher

.

Abstract

The drug Haritaki (Terminalia chebula Retz.) belongs to family Combretaceae is used since ancient time for therapeutic purposes. It has been widely used in the traditional Indian medical system of ‘Ayurveda’ for the treatment of a variety of ailments. Ayurvedic scholar Acharya Bhavprakash described the Haritaki as first drug in Bhavprakash Nighantu. It is called the "King of Medicines" in the Tibet and is always listed first in the Ayurvedic materia medica because of its extraordinary powers of healing with a wide spectrum of biological activity. Haritaki has five Rasa (taste) except Lavana (salt), its Vipaka (taste after digestion) is Madhura (sweet) and Veerya (potency) is Ushna (hot). Due to these virtues the plant performs various pharmacological actions such as Rasayana (rejuvenating), Medhya (brain tonic), Deepana (appetizer), Aampachana (digest Aama or toxins) and SrotasShodhana (cleaning the channels by detoxifying the metabolic waste). It helps to improve physical and mental health, prevents degeneration, extends youth and delays aging or rather reverse the aging process. Nowadays different modern researches have revealed its chemical components and pharmacological activities. Main phyto-chemicals of Haritaki are chebulic acid, gallic acid, corilagin, chebulagic acid, ellagic acid, chebulinic acid, triterpenoids and anthraquinones. It performs various therapeutical actions like; antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective, anti-mutagenic, anti-proliferative, radio-protective, cardioprotective etc. This paper presented a comprehensive review of T. chebula especially its pharmacological actions on the basis of ancient texts as well as modern literatures.

Keywords: Haritaki, Phytoconstituents, Medicines Treatment.