Embelia Ribes: Best Herb for Worm Infestation, Rejuvenation (False Black Pepper)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

“Embelia Ribes has been reported as potentially effective suppressor of tumor cell survivor, proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, inflammation, and has great potential as a therapeutic agent for osteoporosis and cancer-linked bone loss.”

Embelia Ribes is a large woody, tropical forest scandent shrub with slender branches and gland-dotted leaves. It is distributed in moist deciduous forests of the Western ghats of south India, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Maharashtra and Sri-Lanka, Malaya, Singapore, and South China. It is mentioned in ancient classical texts like Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, and Ashtanga Hridya as krimighna Dravya.

Sushruta recommends suing it along with liquorice for strengthening the body and preventing the effect of age. The berries are used in the preparation of several compositions for ringworm and other skin diseases. The seeds are of high repute as anthelmintic particularly for tapeworms. Pulp of the fruit is purgative. Fresh juice is cooling, diuretic and laxative.

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2. Common Names

• Family – Myrsinaaceae
• Hindi Name – Vayavidanga, Bhabhiranga, Baberang, Wazrung. Vsyvidang
• English Name – Embelia

3. Vernacular Names

• Bengali – Vidang, Biranga
• Gujrati – Vavading, Vayavandang
• Kannada – Vayuvilanga
• Malayalam – Vizhalari
• Marathi – Vavding
• Tamil – Vayuvilangam
• Telugu – Vayuvidangalu
• Oriya - Bidanga

4. Synonyms

• Amogha – It acts without failure.
• Chitra – The drug which has different seeds.
• Krimighna – It destroys worms.
• Tandula – The drugs which destroy thread worms.
• Vella – The drug which moves is abdomen or digestive system for curing the disease. The drug which promotes elimination of worms in vella.
• Vidanga – Vida means to correct or to cure, that means the drug which cures vahnimaandyam, shola, adhmana, vibandha, erc. Is known as Vidanga.

5. Classical Categorization

• Charaka Samhita – Truptighna, Kushthaghna
• Sushrut Samhita – Surasaadi, Pippalyadi
• Ashtang Sangraha – Surasaadi, Pippalyadi
• Dhanvantari Nighantu – Shatapushpadi varga
• Madanpal Nighantu – Sunthyadi varga
• Kaiyadev Nighantu – Aushadhi varga
• Raj Nighantu – Pippalyadi varga
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Haritakyadi varga

6. Distribution

Embelia Ribes is highly restricted to hilly parts of India up to 1,500m elevation from outer Himalayas to Western Ghats. It is also found in Sri-Lanka, Singapore, South China and Malayan archipelago. It is distributed in moist deciduous forests of the western ghats of south India, Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Maharashtra.

7. Morphology

It is a large, scandent shrub, branches long, slender, flexible, terete with long internodes, the bark studded with lenticels.

Leaves – Coriaceous, 5 to 9 by 2 to 3.8 cm, elliptic or elliptic lanceolate, shortly and obtusely acuminate, entire, shinning above, paler, and somewhat silvery beneath, the whole surface is covered with scattered minute reddish sunken gland, base rounded or acute, main nerves are numerous, slender, petioles are 6 to 16mm long, more or less margines, glabrous.

Flowers – Pentamerous, numerous, small, in lax panicled racemes which are terminal and from the upper axils, branches of the panicle often 7.5 to 10cm long with more or less glandular pubescent. Bracts minute, setaceous, deciduous. Calyx is about 1.25mm long, sepals connate about 1/3^rd of the way up, the teeth 5, broadly triangular-ovate, ciliate. Five petals, greenish yellow, free, 4mm long, elliptic, subobtuse, and pubescent on both sides. Five stamens shorter than the petals, erect, filaments inserted a little below the middle of the petals.

Fruit – Globose, brownish-black, globular 2 to 4 mm in diameter, warty surface with a beak-like projection at apex, often short, thin pedicel, and persistent calyx with usually three or five sepals present, pericarp brittle enclosing s single seed.

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8. Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa (Taste): It has Kashya, Katu in (astringent, pungent) taste.

Virya (Potency): It is Ushna in nature (hot).

Vipaka (post-digestive taste): The post-digestive taste is Katu (pungent).

Guna – Ruksha, Laghu, Tikshna

9. Chemical Constituent

Embelin, quercitol, tannin, and an alkaloid christembine are isolated from fruits. The new derivatives of embelin, iodoembelin, and bromoembelin are also isolated from the fruits of Vidanga. The other constituents identified are embolic acid, fatty ingredients, resinoid and volatile oil.

10. Identity, Purity, and Strength

• Foreign Matter – Not more than 2%
• Total Ash – Not more than 6%
• Acid-insoluble ash – Not more than 1.5%
• Alcohol-soluble extractive – Not less than 10%
• Water-soluble extractive – Not less than 9%

(Source: The Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia of India 1989)

11. Ayurvedic and Pharmacological Actions

Ayurvedic Action

It has anthelmintic, appetizer, antidote, relish, digestion, anti-obesity and antidiabetics.

• Doshakarma – Kapha vatashmaka
• Dhatukarma – Medohara
• Malakarma - Virechan

Pharmacological Action

Its actions include nematocidal, estrogenic, hypoglycaemic, anthelmintic, antibiotic, antitubercular, anti-implantation, anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, diuretic, hepatoprotective, anticancer, immunostimulant and antifertility.

12. Health Benefits

It is used in worm infestation, dental caries, dental pain, loss of appetite, delusion, indigestion, vomiting, abdominal pain, abdominal lump, gandamala, skin disease, constipation, piles, jaundice, spleen disease, asthma, cough, diabetes, obesity, cardiac disease, rhinitis, disease of kapha and vata, blood disease, disease of head, convulsion, epilepsy and hemiplegia.

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13. Therapeutic Uses

Wound – Oil of karanja, sarsapa, shigru and koshram should be applied locally.

Worm infestation – Vidanga is the best drug for worm. Seeds of Embelia Ribes and Kutaja and palasa should be powdered and taken with sugar. It acts anthelmintic. Rice scum mixed with Embelia Ribes and Trikatu should be given to destroy worms. It stimulates digestive power. Warm decoction of Embelia Ribes and Argavadha should be given in worm infestations. Paste of Embelia Ribes and Pippali used in non-unctuous enema destroy wound.

Skin disease - Embelia Ribes, Triphala, and Pipplai powder taken with honey destroys kustha, worms, sinus and fistula-in-ano.

Rejuvenation - Embelia Ribes, Bhallataka and ginger should be given with ghee and honey to prevent old age disease.

Hemicrania - Embelia Ribes, black sesame seeds in equal quantity are pounded together and taken as snuff to alleviate hemicrania.

Jaundice - Embelia Ribes and Pippali are used as snuff, collyrium.

14. Official Part Used

Fruit, root, leaf

15. Doses

Powder – 5 to 10gm

16. Formulations

Vidangarista, Vidanga Lauha, Vidangadi Lauha, Abhayarishtam, Lauhasava, Draksharishtha, Dashmularishtha, Kumari ashava, Pippalyasava Ayaskrithi, Pippallyasavam, Chndraprabha vati, Yogaraj Guggulu, Triphala modaka, Ajamodadi churna, Narayana churna, Jatiphladi churna, Panchnimba churna, Kaishore guggulu, Sudarshan churna, Kachuradi Thailam.

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