The fresh leaves of the WONDER PLANT

Giloy/Guduchi/ Tippa tiga (telugu)/ amritavalli ( malyalam, kannada) also called heart shaped moonseed is Tinospora cordifolia. Guduchi or Giloy is a famous Ayurvedic herb, used extensively in treatment for fever, diabetes, urinary tract disorders, anemia, jaundice, asthma, cardiac disorders etc.  It is a well known immuno-modulator herb used in the correction of auto-immunity. 

Guduchi Dosage: Stem powder – 3 – 6 grams per day, in divided dose

Water decoction – 15 – 60 ml per day, in divided dosage

There is a special extraction technique for Guduchi, called as Guduchi Satva. It is useful in fever.

Read more about Guduchi Satva

Giloy churan dose for rasayana and therapeutics:

Guduchi as rasayana – usually taken after Panchakarma treatment – 5 – 10 grams, 2 times a day after food (churna)

Therapeutic dose – 5 grams 2 times a day after food with suitable Anupana.

Guduchi dose for 1 year old

If it is Guduchi powder – 500 mg of powder – 2 times a day, mixed along with a teaspoon of honey – once or twice a day, after food is the dose.

If it is Guduchi capsule, (extract), then 250 mg capsule one per day can be given for the child, after food.

It can be continued for a period for 2- 3 months based on need.

Chemical properties and pharmacologyGuduchi is highly rich in anti oxidants. It has wound healing property, antipyretic (fever- reducing) and anti-viral properties.

Alkaloids:

Berberine, Choline, Tembetarine,Magnoflorine, Tinosporin, Palmetine,Isocolumbin, Aporphine alkaloids,

Jatrorrhizine, Tetrahydropalmatine

DiterpenoidLactones:Furanolactone, Clerodane derivatives[(5R,10R)- 4R- 8R- dihydroxy- 2S- R:15,16-

diepoxy- cleroda- 13 (16),14- dieno- 17,12S:18,1S- dilactone],Tinosporon, Tinosporides, Jateorine,Columbin

Glycosides:

18- norclerodane glucoside,Furanoid diterpene glucoside,Tinocordiside, Tinocordifolioside,Cordioside, Cordifolioside,Syringin, Syringin- apiosylglycoside,Pregnane glycoside, Palmatosides,Cordifolioside A, B, C, D and E

Steroids:

Beta–sitosterol, Delta – sitosterol,20 Beta- hydroxyecdysone,Ecdysterone, Makisterone A, Giloinsterol

Sesquiterpenoid:

Tinocordifolin

Aliphaticcompound:

Octacosanol, Heptacosanol Nonacosan- 15- one dichloromethane

Others:

3- (4- Dihydroxy- 3- methoxy- benzyl)- 4- (4- compounds hydroxy- 3- methoxybenzyl)- tetrahydrofuran, Jatrorrhizine,Tinosporidine, Cordifol, Cordifelone,Giloinin, Giloin, N- trans- feruloyltyramineas diacetate, Tinosporic acid

Anti oxidants:

Ascorbic acid,Lycopene,Carotene,Phenol,Iron,Anthocyanin

Nutritional composition of Giloy:

Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron, Copper, Zinc, Manganese

Research:

Immuno- modulatory activity

Anti- bacterial activity

Anti- psychotic acitvity

Side effects and precautions:

It is a very good herb for diabetes. But if you are taking other medicines, it may further lower the blood glucose levels. Hence people with diabetes should take this herb only under medical supervision.

It’s usage in pregnancy should be monitored under strict medical supervision. It is used in post- natal care and in Children.

Home remedies using Guduchi –

Home remedy for gout

Giloy Home remedy for rheumatoid arthritis

Guduchi home remedy for fever

Guduchi Kashayam remedy for gout

Important Ayurvedic medicines with Guduchi as main ingredient:

Amritarishta– Extensively used in the treatment of fever.

Siva Gutika– used for a variety of diseases like liver and spleen disorders, respiratory conditions, etc

Guduchi Satva– used in Ayurvedic treatment of burning sensation of feet, bleeding diseases etc.

Mushalyadi Churna– It is used in aphrodisiac treatment and oligospermia

Can giloy help to revive pancreas in type 1 diabetic patient?

Giloy helps to revive pancreas in type 1 diabetes. But it cannot be assured that the patient will be able to completely avoid insulin, with the use of Giloy.

How to consume Guduchi

The best way to consume giloy is by making its Kashayam (decoction).

For an adult – A tablespoon of Giloya powder is added with 2 cups of water, boiled and reduced to half a cup, filtered and administered within 8 hours of preparation.

Guduchi is administered in the form of home remedies, as explained above.

Guduchi is administered along with different co- drinks for different uses – Read more

Guduchi capsule and Guduchi Ghanavati (tablets) are also available in market.

Does Giloy help in reducing Eosinophilia ?

Yes, but herbs like turmeric, neem, Tulsi leaves, etc are more commonly used in eosinophilia.

Does Guduchi help in fighting off a viral attack, and also help with weakness/pain. Is neem also a good option?

When there is viral fever, to bring down the temperature, to improve immunity and also to fight the virus, Giloy is a good option, in the order mentioned.

Neem helps to fight virus, and to bring down the temperature.

For a better effect, using a teaspoon of each of neem and Guduchi together, to prepare Kashayam is a very good option.

Q: Guduchi is hot, but still it balances all the three doshas. How it is justified? As per its hot quality, it should have increased Pitta Dosha.

Answer: A herb does not act only based on its hotness or coldness. While, hotness helps Giloy to decrease Kapha and Vata dosha, its bitter taste helps to decrease Pitta dosha. (Bitter taste decreases Pitta). Hence, it balances all the Three Doshas.

Guluchi as anti ageing medicine:

As per Charaka Samhita Chikitsa Sthana1.3, regular intake of 5 ml of Giloy juice prepared from its root and flower is explained as an excellent brain tonic and rejuvenator – Medhya Rasayana.

Is Giloy useful in PCOS?

Giloy is useful in controlling the blood sugar level, to fight insulin resistance and also to prevent weight gain. These symptoms are associated with PCOS. This way, giloy is useful in PCOS.

References for chemical composition:

Upadhaya AK, Kumar K, Kumar A, MishraHS. Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Hook. F.andThoms. (Guduchi)- Validation of the Ayurvedicpharmacology through experimental and clinicalstudies. Int J Ayurveda Res 2010; 1:112- 121.

Patel MB, Mishra S. Hypoglycemic activity ofalkaloidal fraction of Tinospora cordifolia.Phytomedicine 2011; 18:1045- 1052.

Sriramaneni RN, Omar AZ, Zaini AM.Vasorelaxant effect of diterpenoid lactones from and Andrographis paniculata chloroform extracton rat aortic rings. Pharmacognosy Res 2010;2:242- 246.

Dhanasekaran M, Baskar AA, Ignacimuthu S,Agastian P, Duraipandian V. Chemopreventivepotential of Epoxy clerodane diterpene fromTinospora cordifolia against diethyl nitrosamine induced hepyocellular carcinoma. Invest NewDrugs 2009; 27:347- 355.

Ly PT, Singh S, Shaw CA. Novel environmental toxins: Steryl glycosides as a potential etiologicalfactor for age- related neurodegenerative diseases.J Neurosci Res 2007; 85:231- 237.

Giloya Varieties:

Tinospora crispa
Tinospora malabarica
Tinospora sinensis

Giloi – Systematic classification

Kingdom : plantea
Subkingdom : phanerogamia
Division : angiosperm
Class 1 : dicotyledons
Subclass : thalamiflorae
Family : menispermacea
Genous : Tinospora
Species : cordifolia

Dr.Sangeeta Soi
Krishi Jagran/New Delhi