शृंगाटक हिमं स्वादु गुरु वृष्यं कषायक l
ग्राही शुक्रानीलश्लेष्म प्रदं पित्तास्त्रदाहनुत् l l भा प्र
Botanical Name :TrapanatumBispinosa. (Roxb). Makino
Classification:
According To Modern
Kingdom –Plantae
Order –Myrtales
Family – Trapaceae
According To Ayurveda
Charak- Not included in Varga
Sushruta- Not included in Varga
Bhavprakash- AmradiPhalavarga
Other Names :
Hindi name – Singhada
English name – Water Chestnut or Caltrops
Bengali name – Paaniphala
Gujarati name – Sheengoda
Tamil name – Singheda
Telugu name -Patigadda
Malayalam name – Karimapolam
Sanskrit Name-
Trikonaphala-The fruit resembles triangular shape
Jalaphala ,Paniyaphala-found in water
Shringatak-Thorns resembling horns are found on the fruit
General Information :
Habit – Aquatic floating herb with submerged roots. Stem – Ascending in the water, submerged parts furnished with numerous pairs of green root like spreading pectinate or, gans. Leaves – Simple, alternate, crowded on the upper part of the stem, 4 to 5 cm long, 4 to 7 cm wide, rhomboidal with a triangular apex, somewhat truncate and entire at the base, green mottled with brown, glabrous and shining above, reddish purple, pubescent beneath ptiole in upto 12.5 cm long. Flowers – few, axillary, white, opening above the surface of water. Fruits – obovoid, bony, angular with a short conical beak in the center at the
Properties (Gunadharma)
Rasa- Madhura ,Kashaya
Vipak- Madhura
Virya- Sheeta
Guna-Guru,Ruksha
Specific Parts :
Seed
Doshaghnata :
Pittashamaka,
Benefits :
शृंगाटक हिमं स्वादु गुरु वृष्यं कषायक l
ग्राही शुक्रानीलश्लेष्म प्रदं पित्तास्त्रदाहनुत् l l भा प्र
शृंगाटक: शोणित पित्तहारी लघु : सरो वृष्यतमो विशेषात l
त्रिदोषतापश्रमशोफहारी रुचीप्रदो मेहनदार्ढ्य हेतू :l l रा नि
- The powder of dried kernel of Shringataka is given to control bleeding, treat polyuria, oedema.
- Shrungatak seed or fruit is used to treat burning sensation of the body, pacify thirst and retention of urine.
- Shringatak seed powder or fruit powder is used as nutritional supplement to treat muscle weakness and to give strength to the body.
- The fruit powder of shrungatak is used to improve the sexual potency .
- The fruit powder of Shrungataka is also given to pregnant woment to avoid threatened abortion.
- The women having small uterus and underdeveloped cervix,should be treated with Shrungataka churna,Shatavari churna,Ashwagandha churna,Vidarikanda churna,Bala churna,Nagbala churna,Yashtimadhu churna,Samudrashoka and Ksheervidari churna.
Kasa (Cough):
Sringataka (Trapabispinosa) seed, kamala (Nelumbonucifera) seed, nili (Indigoferatinctoria) and Gajapippali (Psindapsus officinalis) are mixed with ghee and honey and taken as linctus in case of Kasa (Cough).
Dosage :
3 to 6 gm.
Kalpa-
Amritprash Ghrita
Pugakhanda
Soubhagyashunthi
Chemical composition:
The flour of the dried fruit is rich in proteins and minerals. It contains phosphorus, sulphur, calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron and potassium.
Research Corner :
Effect of hydroalcoholic extract of TrapaBispinosa (TB) was studied on fluorescence product and biochemical parameter like lipid peroxidation, catalase activity and glutathione peroxidase activity in the brain of female albino mice. Ageing was accelerated by the treatment of 0.5 ml 5% D-gelactose for 15 days. This resulted in increased fluorescence product, increase lipid peroxidation and decrease antioxidant enzyme like glutathione peroxides and catalase in cerebral cortex.
