Sanskrit name: Trayamana
Botanical name: Gentiana kurroo Royle
Family name: Gentianaceae
Identification No.- SDACH/HG/203
Vernacular names:
- Hindi: kadu,
- English: Indian Gentian
- Kashmir: Neelkanth
Synonyms- बलभद्रा त्रायमाणा त्रायन्ती गिरिजाऽनुजा ।
Classification
Bhav Prakash- Guduchyadi varga
Habitat & Distribution: Endemic to alpine and subalpine regions of the western Himalayas (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand) at elevations of 1,800 to 3,000 meters. Found in open grassy slopes, rocky crevices, and forest edges.
Morphology- A perennial herb with a thick rootstock. Leaves are lanceolate, opposite, and simple. Flowers are large, blue or purplish-blue, bell-shaped and solitary or in small clusters. Root is thick, short, and bitter in taste.
Varieties: No recorded taxonomical varieties; other Gentiana species such as Gentiana pedicellata may resemble it.
Substitute/ Adulterant: Other Gentian species (G. pedicellata, G. tenella) and even non-Gentian bitter roots may be used as substitutes or adulterants.
Phytochemicals: Rich in bitter secoiridoid glycosides like gentiopicroside, amarogentin, swertiamarin, and sweroside; xanthones, flavonoids, and alkaloids also present.
Raspanchaka-
Rasa: Tikta
Guna: Laghu, Ruksha
Virya: Ushna
Vipaka: Katu
Prabhava: Krimighna, Jvarahara
Dosha shamakta: Kapha-Vata hara
Karma– Rogaghnata: Deepana (appetizer), Pachana (digestive), Krimighna (anthelmintic), Jvaraghna (antipyretic), Shothahara (anti-inflammatory), Vranaropana (wound healing)
Amayika Prayoga/Therapeutic Uses
External: Root paste used for non-healing wounds and local inflammation
Internal: Indicated in fever, dyspepsia, worm infestation, liver disorders, loss of appetite, skin diseases, and respiratory afflictions
Part used: Root
Dose: Churna: 1–3 g
Yoga/Formulations: Used in Tikta Ghrita, Jwarahara Kashaya, and various tribal herbal decoctions
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Research updates:
- Sharma P, Samant SS. Diversity, distribution and indigenous uses of medicinal plants of Indian western Himalaya. J Ethnopharmacol. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.12.014.
- Singh B, Bani S, Gupta DK, Chandan BK, Kaul A, Koul A. Anti-inflammatory activity of the iridoids fraction of Gentiana kurroo in experimental models. Phytother Res. doi:10.1002/ptr.1301.
- Ahmad M, Zafar M, Sultana S, Khan MA, Jabeen A, Yaseen G. Ethnomedicinal survey of plants used by the ethnic communities of Kashmir Himalayas. J Ethnopharmacol. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2008.10.032.
