Shahid S Chaudhary

Satavar is an important drug which has been used in Unani and Ayurveda systems of medicine since long as an effective aphrodisiac and galactogogue drug. It is widely distributed throughout tropical and sub-tropical parts of India up to an altitude of 1500 m. It is also known as the queen of herbs. It is cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant. Chemically it is comprised of saponins, alkaloids, steroids, carbohydrates, mucilage and essential nutrients like mineral and vitamins by virtue of which it possesses therapeutic actions such as aphrodisiac, galactogogue, immunomodulator, demulcent and anti-inflammatory etc. Modern scientific researches have also proved its novel therapeutic activities like antioxidant, antibacterial, hypoglycemic, antidepressant etc. In this article an attempt has been made to summarize the immense classical Unani literature and modern researches on Satavar. Key words: Satavar, Asparagus racemosus, galactogogue, Unani, Ayurveda

Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of stems of Cinnamomum zeylanicum belonging to the family Lauraceae. It is extensively used as spice since centuries worldwide. Apart from this it has been widely used for different medicinal purposes in Unani as well as Ayurveda system of medicine. Its trees are widely distributed throughout Sri Lanka, south-western India and Burma. It has been used in traditional systems of medicine for the treatment of various diseases like epilepsy, hemiplegia, chronic bronchitis, asthma, jaundice, skin and gastrointestinal disorders etc. The qualitative phytochemical analysis of the plant extracts shows the presence of essential oils, tannins and mucilage. Recent pharmacological and clinical studies revealed its antibacterial, antifungal, antitumour, immunomodulatory, wound healing and anti-inflammatory activities. This review is an effort to summarize the detailed prospects of ancient literature on C. zeylanicum along with modern researches.