What is Daruharidra ?Almost every part of the Berberis aristata plant (daruharidra plant) has medicinal properties, according to traditional Indian and Chinese medicine. There are many medicines that utilize this herb.Daruharidra, also known as Daru Haldi, Indian barberry, Tree turmeric, and Chitra, is an important herb in the Berberidaceae family. This spiny, hard, yellowish herb is primarily found in the sub-Himalayan region, the Nilgiri hills in southern India, and the hilly areas of Nepal. It is well-known for its therapeutic properties and is used extensively in Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani medicine. Daruharidra's roots are particularly valued and serve as the primary source of its medicinal applications.
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Darvyadi kvatha, Rasaut, Rasanjana, Dasanga lepa, and Darvyadi taila are some of the Ayurvedic formulations that use its roots. Furthermore, the bark, rhizomes, stem, leaves, and fruits are used for their medicinal properties.
Plant extracts are used in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic products. B. aristata (daruharidra botanical name) flowers have also been shown to contain beneficial compounds such as quercetin, e-caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, meratin, and rutin. Daruharidra contains a number of beneficial phytochemicals, including proto-berberine, isoquinoline, bisbenzyl-isoquinoline, flavonoids, and phenolic acids.
Let us now quickly discuss about the uses and benefits of Daruharidra.
Uses of Daruharidra:
Daruharidra uses are as follows.
- The plant exhibits various benefits such as stomachic, bitter tonic, laxative, diaphoretic (inducing perspiration), antiseptic, antipyretic (fever-reducing), anti-diabetic, antiulcerogenic, anti-dysenteric, and anti-diarrhoeal effects.
- It is employed in treating skin diseases, ophthalmic disorders, menorrhagia, jaundice, wounds, liver problems, and ear ailments.
- Fresh berries of B. aristata are antiscorbutic and laxative, aiding in the treatment of sores, piles, and eye disorders, especially conjunctivitis. Its decoction is effective for inflamed gums and toothaches.
- The root bark decoction treats malarial fever, ophthalmic diseases, rheumatism, menorrhagia, piles, blood coagulation, and skin diseases like boils.
- The fruits are also used to treat leucorrhoea, toothache, gum swelling, and piles.
Benefits of Daruharidra:
Here are the main benefits of using Daruharidra.
Liver Protection:
- It many liver health syrups, which contains daruharidra, has potent liver protective properties.
- It inhibits microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes, which helps protect the liver.
- It Berberine in Daruharidra inhibits potassium and calcium currents in liver cells.
- It reduces the incidence of hepatic amoebiasis.
- It reduces liver enzyme levels in acetaminophen-induced liver injury.
Platelets:
- Platelet aggregation induced by platelet-activating factor is reduced.
- Berberine inhibits collagen-mediated adhesion, preventing thrombus formation.
Diabetes:
- It shows anti-diabetic activity in animal models.
- It reduces glucose production and oxidative stress.
- It mimics insulin, enhances insulin action, and lowers insulin resistance.
Diarrhoea:
- It inhibits Vibrio cholerae and Escherichia coli enterotoxins.
- It reduces the occurrence and severity of diarrhea in animal models.
Cancer:
- It inhibits colon cancer cells.
- It suppresses chemical-induced carcinogenesis.
- It useful in the treatment of prostate cancer.
Heart:
- It positive inotropic effect on cardiac tissues.
- It lowers cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL levels.
Infections:
- It exhibits antimicrobial efficacy against various microorganisms.
- It effective against skin infections and gastrointestinal diseases.
Eyes:
- It treats conjunctivitis and cataract problems.
- It effective for eye illnesses and infections due to antimicrobial properties.
Brain:
- It modulates brain chemicals, showing antidepressant-like effects.
- It helpful in central nervous system problems like Alzheimer’s, depression, and anxiety.
Antioxidant:
- It reduces oxidative stress in diabetic rats.
Piles:
- The main constituent in Piles treatment medicines for treating bleeding piles.
Inflammation:
- It demonstrates strong anti-inflammatory action in uveitis models.
- It effective against ocular inflammation.
Skin:
- It expedites wound healing, showing improvement in animal models.
These daruharidra daruharidra benefits are observed only when taken in the right dodge, as prescribed by your ayurvedic doctor.
You can also read blog on ‘What is Haridrakhand?’.
How to Use Daruharidra?
A decoction of B. aristata leaves is commonly used for the treatment of diseases. Bhotiya (Root decoction) communities in India's Himalayan range use root decoctions to treat eye disorders. Fruit and leaf juice are used to treat diarrhea and dysentery. Bark decoctions are used to relieve fever and jaundice. Daruharidra powder can also be used to make a decoction from the roots, stems, or leaves.
Conclusion
To summarize, Daruharidra, also known as Daru Haldi, Indian barberry, Tree turmeric, and Chitra, is a highly valued herb in traditional medicine due to its numerous therapeutic properties. This herb, which grows primarily in the sub-Himalayan region, the Nilgiri hills, and Nepal, is essential to Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani medicine. Berberis aristata's roots, bark, rhizomes, stem, leaves, and fruits are used in a variety of formulations to treat a wide range of ailments, including liver disorders, diabetes, diarrhea, cancer, and skin diseases. Daruharidra, which is high in beneficial phytochemicals such as berberine, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, is still used in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic products, and it has been shown to have significant health benefits across multiple body systems.