Snuhi

Botanical Name :Euphorbia nerifolia. Linn

Classification:

According To Modern

Kingdom –Plantae

Order –Unisexuales

Family – Euphorbiaceae

According To Ayurveda

Charak- VirecanaDravya

Sushruta- SyamadiGana

Bhavprakash- GuducyadiVarga

Other Names:

Hindi name-Sehund, Dandathukar
English name- Common milk hedge
Arabic name- Jakum
Kannada name- Male kalli
Marathi name- Thor
Malayalam name- Illa kalli
Punjabi name- Thor
Telugu name- Akujemuddu
Tamil name- Ilaikalli

General Information :

Habit – Large shrub with many branches grows upto 15 ft. in height. Branch & Branches – Have pairs of stipular spines on tubercles or swellings. These tubercles are more or less consfluent in 5 vertical or slightly spiral lines. The branch is more or less obtusely 5-gonous in section. Leaves – Very small and obovate shaped. Involucres are yellowish, 3 to 7 in a cyme, with very short peduncle about 4 mm long. Fruits – Capsule, Sharply 2 – Lobed and compressed.

Properties (Gunadharma)

Rasa- Katu

Vipak- Katu

Virya- Ushna

Guna-Laghu ,Teekshna

Types of Plant :

Three edged

Euphorbia antiquorum.

Seven edged

Euphorbia Bahukantaka.

Specific Parts :

Root, Stem, Leaf, Ksheera.

Doshaghnata :

Kapha–Vataghna

Benefits :

स्नुही सुधा महावृक्ष: क्षीरी निस्त्रंशपत्रिका l

स्नुहीरुष्णा पित्तदाह कुष्ठवातप्रमेहनुत् l

क्षीरं वातविषाध्मानगुल्मोदरहरं परम् l l

स्नुहीरान्या त्रिधारा स्यातिस्त्रो धारास्तु यत्र सा l

पूर्वोक्तगुणवात्येषा विशेषाद्रससिद्धिदा l l रा नि

Internal application :

Being teekshna-virechana it is used as dosha-shodhana in udara, gulma and yakritpleehavriddhi. As shodhana in pandu, shotha, kushtha, meha and unmade.

Snuhi is raktashodhaka and shothaharahence it is used in upadansha, amavata. Vatarakta and shotha.

It act asKaphanissaraka in kasa, shvasa and pratishyaya.

Snuhiswaras should be used with Tankana and madhu in kushtha and also in jangamavishabadha.

For Joint pain-oil prepared with snuhi leaves and sesame is applied externally over affected area.
Snuhi milk with haridra powder is applied over external pile mass to reduce it.
‘Kshara sutra’, a medicated thread useful to treat piles and fistula is prepared with milk latex of snuhi.
Milk latex of snuhi is used for cleansing the abdomen in cases of poisoning and in severe constipation as it has purgative action
Skin diseases, eczema, itching-
Milk latex (only 4 drops) is added to 1-2 spoon mustard oil. This oil is applied topically on affected skin area in skin diseases.
The leaf of Snuhi is heated and tied over the area affected with the pain and inflammation.
Juice of Snuhi leaves poured in to the ear to treat earache.

The latex is applied directly on warts.
Psoriasis, eczema, skin diseases-
For psoriasis, extract latex of plant. Take a thick bottom vessel and cook latex in one-fourth mustard oil (e.g. cook one litre latex in 250 ml oil) till all water is evaporated and only oil is left. This medicated oil is filtered and is applied externally on affected skin areas.
Stem juice of Snuhi with honey and borax is used to treat cough and sore throat.
Latex is boiled in castor oil with salt .This prepared mixcture is externally applied on craacked heels.
Local application of Latex gives results in burns and wounds.

Formulation (Kalp):

Vajrakshar, Snuhyaditaila, Snuhyadivarti, etc.

Dosage :

MoolaChoorna – 0.25 to 0.5 gm.

Kanda-svarasa – 5 to 10 ml.

Chemical composition:

The triterpenoids, euphol, 24-methylene cycloartenol, euphorbolhexacosonate, glut-5 (10)-en-5-one, glut-1- en-3 beta-yet-acetate, taraxerol, friedelan-3 alpha-ol and–3 beta-ol have been reported from the plant.

Research Corner :

Anti-carcinogenic potential of hydro-ethanolic extract of Euphorbia nerifolia (EN) leaves and an isolated flavonoid (ENF) was investigated against N-Nitrosodiethylamine (DENA)- induced renal carcinogenesis in mice. Levels of renal markers (Urea and creatinine), xenobiotic metabolic enzymes (Cyt P450 and Cyt b5), lipid peroxidation (LPO), antioxidants (SOD, CAT, GST and GSH).

Home remedies:

Arsas (Piles)

Latex of snuhi (Euphorbia nerifolia) mixed with Haridra (Curcuma longa), Kosataki (Luffa acutangula),Saindhavalavana (Rock salt) and Gomutra (Cow’s urine) is applied on arsas.

Virecanartha (To induce purgation)

Trivrit (Operculinaturpethum) impregnated with latex of Snuhi (Euphorbia nerifolia) taken with honey and ghee will act as very good purgative.

Side Effects-

Excess use of snuhi can cause severe purgation.

If milk of the plant falls to eye,it can cause blindness.

Plant has abortifacient property.It may cause abortion.