European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

DIDYMOCARPUS PEDICELLATA R. BR.: A VALUABLE HERB FOR RENAL STONES

Aradhna Saklani*, D. C. Singh, Deepak Semwal and Rishi Arya

ABSTRACT

Ayurveda is an ancient science which has survived for more than 5000 years. It has time and again proved its effectiveness in treating chronic diseases as well as some acute conditions to which modern science has no cure. In addition to this, Ayurvedic drugs and herbs have the potential to make therapeutic intervention in some diseases easy as well as cost-effective. One such herb is Didymocarpus pedicellata R.Br. It is a plant with an ethnomedicinal use for treating renal stones. Many Ayurvedic texts describe its morphology, habitat, ras panchak and its therapeutic uses. However, the identification of the plant as Pashanbhed is slightly contentious because of another plant, Bergenia ciliata, having similar characteristics. Both these plants are used to treat similar conditions. Research data is also limited on this plant for the above mentioned reason. The main objective of this article is to describe the various unexplored and scientifically explored aspects of Didymocarpus pedicellata R.Br. as this plant has not been reviewed adequately enough and the non-availability of compiled data is a major hurdle in further research work. Additionally, there is a need to find more herbal drugs for renal stones as it is the third most common disease in the world.

Keywords: Pashanbhed, Renal Stones, Ras Panchak.