Tinospora Cordifolia: Best Remedy for Liver and Kidney Problems (Giloy)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 

The term “Guduchi” is derived from the phrase gud rakshane, which means the one who protects us from diseases. Cordifolia refers to the cordate shape of the leaves. Giloy is considered as a divine herb owing to its multifaceted health benefits.

In Hindu mythology, it is believed to have been originated from nectar (elixir, amrita). A myth about the origin of Guduchi is that during the war between Lord Rama and Ravana, when the army of monkeys started dying, lord Indra dispensed amrit among them. While distributing amrit, some of its drops fell on the ground and Guduchi plant originated from that. Hence, to ensure long and healthy life, our ancestor advised to plant giloy plant in everyone’s house.

Ayurveda classics have praised this versatile herb since ages, Charak Samhita considered giloy as the best sangrahi, vatahara, deepaniya, shlesm-shonita vibandh shamak Dravya and described it as one of the Medhya rasayana. Tinospora Cordifolia is included in the group of panchtika, vallipanchmool, and chatubhandra.

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2. Common Names

• Family - Menispermaceae (moon seed)
• Hindi Name - Giloy
• English Name - Tinospara

3. Vernacular Names

• Bengali – Gulancha
• Assamese – Siddhilata, Amaralta
• Kannada – Amrutaballi
• Gujrati – Galac, Garo
• Kashmiri – Amrita, Gilo
• Marathi – Gulvel
• Punjabi – Gilo
• Tamil – Seendal

4. Synonyms

• Amrita – It means the plant never dies and has properties like nectar, which provides immortality.
• Bhishakpriya – The plant is popular in therapeutics.
• Chandrahasa – The seeds are semilunar in shape.
• Chinnarooha – The plant regenerates from stem cutting.
• Devnirmita – The plant is formed by a deity.
• Jwaranshini – It is efficacious in fever.
• Madhuparni – The leaves contain viscid juice like honey.
• Rasayana – The plant has rejuvenating property.
• Soma – It promotes strength and vitality.
• Vishaghani – It has the properties to counteract poison.
• Vyastha – It has antiaging properties, keeps one eternally young.

5. Classical Categorization

• Charak Samhita - Sandhaniya, Triptighana.
• Dhanvantari Nighantu – Guduchyadi varga
• Sushrut Nighantu – Araghvadhadi, Shyamadi.
• Ashtanga Hridaya - Guduchyadi varga
• Madanpal Nighantu – Abhayadi varga
• Kaiyadev Nighantu – Oshadi varga
• Raj Nighantu – Guduchyadi varga
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Guduchyadi varga

6. Distribution

This plant is indigenous to India and but can also be found in other parts of Asia, including China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. It is distributed throughout the tropical regions of India up to an elevation of 1200 m, it is a common plant of deciduous and dry forest, growing over hedges and trees.

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7. Morphology

It is a perennial, deciduous, woody, dextrorotatory climber. This herb is often seen growing on Neem and Mango trees. The stem is slender, flexible, and covered with smooth, greenish-gray bark. The leaves are heart-shaped and alternate, with a smooth surface and long petioles. The flowers are small and yellowish-green and are arranged in axillary and terminal spikes. The fruit is a drupe, which is ovoid and about the size of a pea and turns red when ripe.

Fresh Stem – Green, mucilaginous, soft, succulent, glabrous, terete, sparsely lenticellate and often producing filiform aerial roots from branches. Bark warty, creamish-white when green and gray when mature.

Dried Stem – Cylindrical, slender, slightly twisted shape, 6 to 12 cm in diameter with rough surface due to longitudinal fissures of cracks along with rows of lenticels. The outer bark is thin and papery brown to grayish in color.

Leaves – Simple, alternate, long petiolate up to 15 cm, lamina broadly ovate-cordate 10 to 20cm long, 8 to 15cm broad, seven-nerved and deeply cordate at the base, membranous, pubescent above whitish tomentose beneath, acute to acuminate apex, margin entire, reticulate venation. The leaves when seen in bulk look intensely green but over mature leaves are yellowish-green color. Leaves are bitter and have an indistinct odor.

Flowers – Male and female flowers occur on separate plants and appear when plant is leafless. Flowering is axillary raceme type. Male and flowers are small, yellow or green in color and occur in clusters. Female flowers are usually solitary and are green.

Fruit – Aggregate of one to three, ovoid, smooth, drupaceous, equal to the size of a large pea, unripe green and turns red when fully ripe. The plant is propagated by stem cutting and seeds.

8 Types of Tinospora Cordifolia

There are two types of Tinospora Cordifolia described by Dhavantari and Rajanighantu:

• Guduchi
• Kandodbhav Guduchi

9. Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa (Taste) – Tikta, Katu, Kasaya (bitter taste)

Virya (Potency) – Ushna (Hot)

Guna (Qualities) – Laghu, Snigdha (light and easy to digest)

Vipaka (Post-digestive Effect) – Madhura (sweet)

Prabhava (Effective) – Tridoshahara

10. Chemical Constituent

Tinospora cordifolia contains several biologically active compounds, including alkaloids, glycosides, steroids and flavonoids. Some of the major chemical constituents of Tinospora cordifolia include berberine, palmatine, magnoflorine, columbin, jatrorrhizine, giloin, giloinin, tinosporaside, and cordifolioside.

11. Identity, Purity, and Strength

• Foreign Matter – Not more than 2%
• Total Ash – Not more than 16%
• Acid-insoluble ash – Not more than 3%
• Alcohol-soluble extractive – Not less than 3%
• Water-soluble extractive – Not less than 11%
• Moisture content (in fresh drug) – Not less than 75%

(Source: The Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia of India 1989)

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12. Ayurvedic and Pharmacological Actions

Ayurvedic Actions

In Ayurvedic treatise and Nighantus, Guduchi stem is described as absorbent, appetizer, strength promoting, cardiac tonic, rejuvenator, longevity, intellect promoting, antipyretic in actions. Giloy starch from stems is laghu, Madhura, pathya, deepan and beneficial for eyes, enhances all dhatu and promotes longevity. Giloy juice from the fresh plant is guru, tikta, ushna and tridoshshamka.

• Doshakarma – Tridoshshamka
• Dhatukarma – Rasayana, ayushya, balya
• Malalarma - Mutral

Pharmacological Actions

The stem is reported to possess immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, adaptogenic, antibacterial digestive, carminative, antitumor, diuretic, aphrodisiac and anti-allergic.

13. Health Benefits

Traditionally, Tinospora Cordifolia stem is used in the treatment of chronic fever, thirst, burning sensation, skin diseases, gout, anemia, jaundice, diabetes, hyperacidity.  Giloy satva is useful in acid peptic diseases, fever, diabetes, anorexia, asthma, piles, cough, hic-cough, dysuria and menorrhagia. Giloy swaras is used in fever, leprosy, worm infestation and bleeding piles.

Guduchi patra shaka is used in the treatment of gout, thirst, burning sensation, diabetes, anemia, skin disease, jaundice. Dhanvantari and Madanpal Nighantu have described the use of giloy with specific vehicles to alleviate constipation, rheumatoid arthritis, gout and diseases of vata, pitta and kapha dosha. Tinospora Cordifolia is given with ghee, sugar, honey, jaggery, castor oil, ginger to treat vata, pitta and kapha dosha.

Tribal and ethnic people’s groups in different regions of India use giloy in their day-to-day life as food and medicine. They use it for treating aliments like periodic fever, jaundice, cough, asthma, general debility.

14. Therapeutic Uses

External Uses

Fracture – Paste of whole plant is applied on fracture and rheumatoid arthritis.

Burning Sensation – Paste or juice of giloy with sarsapa beej churna is applied.

Internal Uses

Intermittent Fever – Decoction of gioly, neem and amala mixed with honey is beneficial in intermittent fever.

Chronic Fever – Guduchi juice mixed with pippali and honey is given.

Dengue Fever – 1 tsf of fresh giloy stem juice, 1 tsf of aloe vera pulp and half tsf of papaya leaf juice taken with water increases platelet count in dengue patient.

Immunity Enhancer – Daily intake of giloy juice enhances body immunity and acts as an adaptogen. It expels toxins from the body and rejuvenates it at tissue level.

Cancer – Daily intake of 4 tsf of giloy swars or 1g of giloy stva before and after chemotherapy helps in reducing the side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients.

Jaundice – Daily intake of giloy swars mixed with honey in the morning cures jaundice. Paste of guduchi leaves taken with takra as anupana is used to cure jaundice.

Gout – Decoction made up of giloy stem, Eranda mool and vasa mool taken with castor oil twice daily cures gout.

Eye disease – In all types of eye disorders, decoction of giloy and triphala mixed with pippali and honey is beneficial.

Skin diseases – intake of giloy swaras as per one’s capacity followed by diet if rice, moong, yusha and ghee.

Detoxification of breast milk – Make decoction of giloy and saptaparna with ginger is recommended daily.

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15. Official Part Used

Stem, Root, leaves

16. General Doses

• Powder – 2 to 4g
• Decoction – 50 to 100ml
• Satva – 1 to 2 g with honey.

17. Toxicity and Side Effects

Tinospora cordifolia is generally considered safe when consumed in moderate amounts. However, like any herbal supplement or natural remedy, it may cause side effects in some individuals. There are no adverse reactions or toxicity of giloy have been noted.

Substitution and Adulteration

The extract of giloy is adulterated with powder, flour of potato, sweet potato, arrow root and banana powder.