The Lazy Way To LATAKASTURI

लताकस्तुरिका तिक्ता स्वाद्वी वृष्या हिमा लघुः|

चाक्षुश्या दिपणी श्र्लेश्मतृष्णास्त्यास्यरोगह्रत ||

Botanical Name :Hibiscus abelmoschus Linn.

 Classification:

According To Modern

Kingdom –       Plantae

Order   –          Malvales

Family    –        Malvaceae

According To Ayurveda

Charak-            Not mentioned in Varga

Sushruta-         Not mentioned in Gana

Bhavprakash- karpuradiVarga

Other Names :

• Sanskrit:

Latakasturika, Latakasturi, Kattaphala, Katuka, Gandhapura, Kasturilatika

• Bengali:

Kasture, Kala-Kasturi, Latakasturi

• Deccan:

Kasturu- Benda

• English:

Ambrette, Musk Mallow, Muskmallow, Ornamental Okra, Musky-Seeded, Hibiscus

• Hindi:

Musk Dana

• Gujrati:

Bhindo, Bhinda

• Kannada:

Kaadukasthuri, Kasthuribende, KasturiKande, KaduKastuar

• Malayalam:

KaattuKasturi, Kasturi Venda, Kasturi Kanda

• Marathi:

Kasturi-Bhenda, Kasturbhendi

• Punjabi:

Mushak Dana, LataKasturi

• Tamil:

Kattuk-Kasturi, Kasturivendai, Kattukkasturi

• Telugu:

Karpura-Benda

• Siddha:

KattuKasturi

• Unani:

Musk-Daanaa, Habb-Ul-Mushk

• Arabic:

Hab-Ul-Mishk

• Chinese:

Ye You Ma, Shan You Ma, Huang Ku, Huang Kai

• Thai:

Chamot Ton, Mahakadaeng,SomChaba Vietnamese: Cay Bong Vang, BupVang)

• Singhalese:

KapuKimissa, Kapukinissa

General Information :

Habit- A tall annual, stem- Clothed with long deflexed hairs. Leaves- Upper leaves are palmately 3 to 7 lobed, divided nearly to the base; lobes are narrow-acute, crenate, serrate or irregularly toothed, hairy on both the surfaces. Petioles are 2.5 cm long, hairy, stipules 1 cm long. Flowers- yellow with purple at center. Fruits-Capsules, Fulvous-hairy, oblong-lanceolate, seeds are subreniform, blackish.

Properties (Gunadharma)

Rasa- Tikta,Madhura,Katu

Vipak- Katu

Virya- Sheeta

Guna-Laghu, Rookshna

Specific Parts :

  Seeds

Doshaghnata :

Kapha-Pittaghna.

 Shloka’s :

लताकस्तुरिका तिक्ता स्वाद्वी वृष्या हिमा लघुः|

चाक्षुश्या दिपणी श्र्लेश्मतृष्णास्त्यास्यरोगह्रत ||

Benefits:

Being mouth freshner, ruchikara, deepana and grahi it should be used in mukharoga, aruchi, agnimandya and atisara. Being hridayottejaka, in hriddaurbalya and in kasa-shvasa being kaphaghna. Root or the leaf juice should be given in mootrakrichchhra or pooyameha being mootrala. Useful in shukradaurbalya being vrishya.

Tamakaswasa (Asthma)

Phanta of Latakasturi (Hibiscus abelmoschus) is useful in tamakaSwasa (Asthma)

Aruci (Anorexia)

Chewing of Leaves of Latakasturi (Hibischusabelmoschus) is beneficial in case of Aruci (Anorexia)

Diabetes

Indian folks use KASTORI BHINDI (Ambrette) in diabetes. Ambrette seeds are more beneficial for stabilizing sugar level in the blood.

Constipation

The fiber content in seedpods and mucilage substance in AbelmoschusMoschatus (Ambrette) helps reducing habit of constipation. It lubricates the gut and eases in passing stools. Ambrette is beneficial in constipation with dry and hard stools.

Dysuria (painful urination), Cystitis, Urethritis &Gonorrheal Cystitis

Ambrette seeds are used for their diuretic action in urinary diseases. Seeds also have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties due to which they help in reducing inflammation and infection of the urinary tract and urinary bladder.

• Annual hibiscus is used as a stimulant and anti-spasmodic in curing snakebites, stomach, and intestinal disorders.
• It helps in treating ailments such as cramps, loss of appetite, headaches, stomach cancer, hysteria, gonorrhea and respiratory disorders.
• Annual hibiscus forms an ingredient in vermouths, bitters and other food products.
• The herb is used in relieving spasms of the digestive tract, poor circulation, and aching joints.
• It is used in the manufacturing of cosmetics like perfumes, soaps, detergents, creams, and lotions.
• Annual hibiscus is considered as an insecticide also.
• The herb is used by the Arabs for flavoringcoffee. Read more at
• The unripe pods, leaves and new shoots of the herb are consumed as vegetables.
• The plant’s root mucilage provides sizing for paper. On the other hand, the flowers are sometimes used to flavor tobacco.
• Annual hibiscus is also used in making a traditional herbal liquor called Benedictine.
• The strong smell of the seeds makes the plant an ideal inhalant to alleviate hoarseness and a dry throat.
• The leaves and roots of the plant are helpful in treating gonorrhea and venereal diseases.
• The Ambrette Plant is used as an ingredient in cosmetics like perfumes, soaps, detergents, creams, and lotions.

Formulation (Kalp):

Name                                      Indication

KasturyadiGutika                     Swasa, VatakaphajaJwara

ManasamitraGutika                Manodosa, Unmada

BrahmiVati                                   Anidra

BalaTaila                                        Ksataksaya, Murcha

Chaturbhuja Rasa                     Vali, Palitya

Dosage :

BeejaChoorna(Seed Powder)- 1 to 3 gm.

Research Corner :

The larvicidal activity of roots of Hibiscus abelmoschus was evaluated against the larvae of mosquitoes in the genera Anopheles and Culex. Mean median lethal concentration values of the aqueous extract from the roots. Of H. abelmoschus against the larvae of Anopheles culicifacies, an. Stephensi, and Culexquinquefassciatus were 52.3, 52.6 and 43.8 ppm, respectively. Efficacy of fraction code HAM-4 decreased with an increase in water depth when sprayed at a dose calculated with an increase in water depth when sprayed at a dose calculated by surface area. Fraction code HAM-4 at the rate of 82 ppmshowed 91.1 % reduction of larval An. Stephensi in a tank, whereas 87.4% reduction of larval Cx.quinquefaisciatus occurred in a blocked drain 24 h after application of HAM-4 under field conditions.