Yavasa Alhagi camelorum - Medicinal Property & Uses

Introduction of Yavasa Alhagi camelorum –

Botanical Name of Yavasa is Alhagi camelorum, Fisch.
Family of Yavasa is Leguminosae.

Yavasa plant is commonly grown as a weed. It is beneficial in Raktapitta, Madatyaya etc.

LITERARY REVIEW OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

The drug Yavasa, was mentioned in Rigveda, as a fodder for camels.
Another drug named Yavasa is also mentioned in vedic literatures, but it is not confirmed whether these two are one and the same as the Yavasa of the samhitas.
Charaka, Sushruta as well as Vagbhatta have mentioned about this drug in their texts. But none of them have classified it under any vargas.
Dalhana explained the watery extract of Yavasa as Yasa Sharkara. It is commonly accepted that Yavasa and Duralabha are synonymous.
Thakurji described that both have similar properties and may be used in each others place.
Bhavamishra explained both these herbs separately, but their properties are mentioned as similar.
There are references about this drug in Raja Nighantu, Dhanwatari Nighantu, Kaiyadeva Nighantu, Nighantu Ratnakar, Bhavaprakasha Nighantu etc.

TYPES OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

5 Types of Yavasa are mentioned as follows-

Alhagi camelorum
Alhagi persarum
Alhagi pseudalhagi
Hedysorum pseudalhagi
Alhagi maurorum

According to Sodhala Nighantu, 2 varieties of the plant Yavasa are-

Yasa
Dhanvayasa

SYNONYMS OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum AND ITS INTERPRETATIONS-

Yavasa -A plant which grows and spreads easily
Duhsparsha -Plant which is difficult to touch because of thorns
Dhanvayasa -Plant which grows commonly in deserts
Ananta -Plant which has long roots
Kachura -Plant which creates itching
Samudranta -Plant which spreads easily like sea.
Duralabha -Difficult to collect because of thorns
Adhikantaka -Thorns are facing down.
Balapatra -Having tiny leaves
Sookshmapatra -Having tiny leaves
Bahukantaka -Having many thorns
Teekshnakantaka -Having many thorns
Kshudrengudi -Small leaves which resembles Ingudi leaves
Gandhari -A native of Gandhara Desha
Girikarnika
Kantakaluka -which possesses sharp spines
Kantaki -Having many thorns

Marudbhava -Inhabitant of semi-arid regions
Rodanika -Making one cry due to pain
Triparnika -Due to presence of 3 leaflets
Vanadarbha
Vasanta
Vishaghna
Vivarnaka
Yasa -Great caution is needed while gathering
Yavasaka
Kunashaka -Due to extensive spreading habit
Duralambha – Difficult to gather
Deerghamoola -Roots are long
Tamramoolika -Coppery red roots
Ushtrabakshya -Eaten by camels
Prahladina -Which is cordial
Phanihari -That which destroys snake poison

GANAS OR VARGAS OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

The plant Yavasa has not been classified by Charaka, Sushruta and Vagbhata in to any of the ganas or vargas. Where as various Nighantus have mentioned it under different vargas.

Kula- Shimbi kula.

Upakula- Aparajita upakula

Dhanwantari Nighantu- Guduchyadi varga
Bhavaprakasha Nighantu- Guducyhadi varga
Raja Nighantu- Shatahvadi varga
Kaiyadeva Nighantu- Oshadhi varga
Shaligrama Nighantu- Ikshu varga

VERNACULAR NAMES OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

Arabic – Al- gol, Haj
Bengali – Jawasa, Dullalabha
English – Camel thorn, Persian manna plant
Gujarati – Javaasso
Hindi – Javaas
Kannada – Balli turuche
Malayalam – Kappathumba, Kodithuva
Marathi – Jawas, Kas, Javaasa
Parsi – Khareshuthur
Tamil – Tellanginiyo
Telugu – Tellanginiya Chettu
Punjabi – Tamiya
Chinese – Tz’u Mi
Cutch – Zuwasha
French – Agoul, Alhagi, Plante Epineuse
Persian -Kharebuz, Kharishutr, Shutakhar
Sind – Kas
Urdu – Athariyum

SYSTEMIC CLASSIFICATION OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

Kingdom- Plantae (Plants)
Sub Kingdom- Tracheobionta (Vascular Plants)
Super Division- Spermatophyta (Seed Plants)
Division- Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
Class- Magnoliopsida ( Dicotyledons)
Subclass- Rosidae
Order- Fabales
Family- Fabaceae (Pea Family)
Genus- Alhagi
Species- Camelorum

PRAYOJYA ANGA (PARTS USED) OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

Panchanga (Whole Plant)
Yasa Sharkara (Gummy exudates)

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

Twigs Contain:

B – Phenethylamine
N – Methyl – B – Phenethylamine
N – Methyl tyramine
Hordmine
3,4 – Dihydroxy – B – phenethyl – trimethyl ammonium hydrozide.
3 methoxy – 4 – hydrozyl – B Phenethyl trimethyl ammonium hydroxide
N – methyl mescaline
Salsolidine
Small quantity of choline & Betaline

Roots and stem contain:

Alkaloid
Also phytosterols

The Gummy exudates Yasa Sharkara contains:

Glucose
Mannitol

If boiled with sour drugs, it gets converted into glucose.

AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

Rasa – Madhura, Tikta, Kashaya
Guna – Laghu, Snigdha
Veerya – Sheeta
Vipaka – Madhura
Doshaghnata – Kapha Pitta Shamaka

PHARMACO-THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES & ACTIONS OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

The Yavasa plant is bitter and acrid with a distinct flavour, refrigerant, digestible, antipyretic, tonic, laxative, diuretic. It removes excess of fat, cures brain affections, leprosy skin diseases, bronchitis, allays thirst and improves appetite. It is also found useful in espistaxis. The plant has a bitter taste, it is alexeteric, maturant, aperient and atennuate. It is good for piles, opacity of cornea and hemicrania.

The manna or the sweet exudates is aperint, cholagogue, expectorant, diuertic, fattening, aphrodisiac, purifies the blood, good in vomiting, small pox eruptions, asthma and piles, it has a slightly bad taste.

ACTIONS (KARMA) OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

The various karmas enumerated are:

Trishna Nigrahana
Medohara
Rakta Stambhana
Kushthaghna
Kasa shwasa hara
Visarpaghna

Vatarakta shamaka
Chhardi nigrahana
Shothahara
Jwaraghna
Vedana sthapana
Vrishya
Madatyayahara

PHARAMACO-THERAPEUTIC USES OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

As a whole, the plant serves as a good medicine for skin diseases, epistaxis, leprosy, opacity of cornea and hemicrania.
An oil extracted from leaves is found to be effective in case of rheumatism.
The flowers are good for piles.
The manna or the exudates is good in vomiting, asthma, piles and small pox eruptions.
The plant is smoken along with black datura, tobacco and ajwain seeds as a remedy for asthma.
The infusion has a diaphoretic action.
The decotion made out of root is found effective in curing swellings, abscesses and also mixed with water for bathing.

THERAPEUTIC USES OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

Nasagata Raktapitta – Nasya is done with Yavasa mula (Ch. Chi. 4).
Madatyaya – Pana of Yavasa panchanga kwatha (Ch. Chi. 12).
Kasa – Dhoomapana is done with Yavasa (Vaidyamruta).
Amavata – Yavasa siddha taila is applied externally (Bha. Pr.).
Arshas – Internal administration, as well as application of panchanga kalka (Bha. Pr.).
Tamaka Shwasa – Dhoomapana of kwatha made by mixing Yavasa and Muleti (Bha. Pr).
Raktapitta – Root of Yavasa and Bhringaraja are suspended in cowdung juice and taken with Tandulodaka (Cha. Chi. 4)
Arshas – Kwatha of Yastimadhu, Panchavalkala, Badari, Udumbara, Dhawa, Patola, Vasa, Arjuna, Yavasa and Nimba is used for seka (Ch. Chi . 14)
Daha – Kalka of Yavasa , Kusha, arka, Balaka, Kasa, Eraka is applied externally (Ch. Su. 3).
Rheumatism – Oil extracted from the leaves is used for application.
Asthma – The plant is smoked with black dhatura, tobacco and ajwain seeds as a remedy.
Swellings, Abcesses – A decoction of root is made and used externally .

POSOLOGY / DOSAGE (MATRA) OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum