Nut Grass: Health Benefits and Therapeutic Uses (Cyperus Rotundus)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

The Sanskrit word “Musta” is derived from the verse musta sanghate iti which means the one who grows in a cluster of tubes. The word Cyperus is derived from the Greek kuperos and rotundus is a Latin word that means round, highlighting the shape of the tuber.

Nut grass is a perfect example of a medicinal weed with innumerable qualities and a long history of folklore use. The plant is praised in Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani, Homeopathic, Naturopathic, Chinese, and American traditional systems of medicine. In Ayurveda, Charka attributes sangrahi deepaniya pachaniya properties to it. Ashtanga described it as the best drug for fever along with Parpata which attributes apasmarhara property to it. Acharya Charaka considered it an important drug in the management of madatyaya and vangasena in apasmara.

Shodhala used it for external application in vrana, it is also one of the ingredients of trikarshika, chaturbhadra and sarvaoushadi gana. Bhavaprakash considered the Musta which grows in annopdesha as the best. Its oil is used in making perfumes and as essence in food and cosmetics.

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2. Common Names

• Family - Cyperaceae
• Hindi Name - Motha
• English Name - Nut grass, purple nut grass, sedge

3. Vernacular Names

• Bengali – Mutha, Musta
• Chinese – Suo cao
• Kannada – Konnari Gadde
• Gujarati – Moth
• Marathi – Moth, Nagarmoth
• German – Knolliges Zypergras
• Malayalam – Muthanga
• Tamil – Korai
• Telugu – Tungamustalu
• Urdu – Sad Kufi
• Punjabi – Mutha

4. Synonyms

• Gangeyi – It grows naturally near the banks of river Ganga.
• Granthila – The tuber is nodular in shape.
• Rajkasheruka – The tuber is similar in appearance to kaseru fruit.
• Varidanamakam – It is known by the other synonyms of water or clouds.

5. Classical Categorization

• Charaka Samhita – Lekhaniya, Trishna.
• Sushrut Samhita – Mustadi, Vachadi.
• Ashtanga Hridaya – Mustadi.
• Dhanvantari Nighantu – Guduchyadi varga.
• Madanpal Nighantu – Abhyadi varga.
• Kaiyadev Nighantu – Oshadi varga.
• Raj Nighantu – Pippalyadi varga.
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Karpuradi varga.

6. Distribution

Nut grass grows naturally in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions of the world. Throughout India, it occurs as a weed in wastelands and fields up to an altitude of 1,500 ft.

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7. Morphology

It is a perennial glabrous grass of about 20 to 30cm in height with a slender stolon and triquetrous aerial stem.

Leaves – They are radical, dark green, numerous, narrowly linear, flat, sheathed, one nerved.

Flower – Inflorescence consists of four to six brown-purple spikes radiating from a long, slender, triangular stalk, spikelets are purplish green, in compound umbels.

Fruit – It is a grey-black-colored trigonus nut, single-seeded.

Rhizomes – It is tuberous, conical in shape with wiry, slender roots, 1 to 3 cm long, aromatic, external surface reddish-brown, rough, and internally white. The plant is propagated by the vegetative method from the tuber.

8. Types

Bhavamishra has described three types of Nut Grass:

• Bhadra Musta - Cyperus Rotundus.
• Nagar Musta - Cyperus scariosus – best among the three.
• Kaivart/Jal Musta – Cyperus esculentus.

9. Ayurvedic Properties

• Rasa (Taste): It has Kasaya, Tikta, Katu (pungent, astringent, bitter) taste.
• Virya (Potency): It is Sheeta in nature (cold).
• Vipaka (Post-digestive taste): It is Katu (bitter) taste.
• Guna (Qualities): Laghu, Ruksha

10. Chemical Constituent

The tuber contains essential oils, flavonoids, terpenoids, sesquiterpenes, fats, sugar, gum, carbohydrates, albumins and fibers. The essential oil has cyperene, cyperol, isocyperol, cineol, cyperenone, kobusone, mustakone, aselinene, rotundene, valencne, and gurjunene.

11. Identity, Purity, and Strength

For Rhizome

• Foreign Matter – Not more than 2%
• Total Ash – Not more than 8%
• Acid-insoluble ash – Not more than 4%
• Alcohol-soluble extractive – Not less than 5%
• Water-soluble extractive – Not less than 11%
• Volatile Oil – Not less than 1%

12. Ayurvedic and Pharmacological Actions

Ayurvedic Actions

Nut grass possesses absorbent, appetizer, digestive, antimicrobial, diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, antisaturative, antiobesity, thirst restraining, and antipyretic. Its oil is bactericidal and fungicidal.

• Doshakarma – Kapha-pittashamaka.
• Dhatukarma – Medohara, Grahi.
• Malakarma – Swedajanan.

Pharmacological Actions

Its rhizome is reported to have anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, antidiarrheal, antitussive, insecticidal, anti-bacterial, antioxidant, antipyretic, analgesic, antiulcer, antiallergic, antimalarial, wound healing, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, and tonic properties.

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13. Health Benefits

Ayurvedic texts advocated the use of Nut grass for thirst, fever, microbial infections, distaste, worm infestation, loss of appetite, indigestion, cough, dysuria, vomiting, diarrhea, and arthritis. In folklore and traditional practice, nut grass is used in dysmenorrheal, menstrual irregularities, abdominal complaints, skin diseases, malaria, insect bites, and wounds, boils, blisters, and in deficient lactation.

14. Therapeutic Uses

Wounds – Fresh rhizomes into a paste and mixed with ghrita is applied locally on wounds and ulcers.

Galactogogue – For inducing lactation nut grass powder mixed with water is applied on the breast.

Diarrhea – Intake of decoction of nut grass powder mixed with honey gives relief in diarrhea.

Alcoholism – Consumption of water boiled with nut grass helps in reducing the effect of excessive alcohol intake.

Cough – Cough caused by vitiated Kapha and pitta is relieved by taking sharkaradi formulation with nut grass and black pepper.

Gout – Vatarakta associated with kapha is cured by taking decoction of nut grass, amla, and turmeric.

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15. Official Part Used

Tuber

16. General Doses

• Powder – 3 to 6g.
• Decoction – 50 to 100ml.

17. Formulations

Mustakadi churna, Mustakadi leha, Mustakarishta, Gangadhar churna.