Talk:Shigru
| Section/Chapter | Herb database/Shigru |
|---|---|
| Botanical name(s) | Moringa oleifera LAM. |
| Family | Moringaceae |
| Availability | Available |
| Contributors | Team Dravyaguna |
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Publisher | Charak Samhita Research, Training and Skill Development Centre |
| DOI | Awaited |
Moringa oleifera LAM., popularly known as Shigru (Drumstick plant), is a fast-growing, deciduous tree native to the Indian subcontinent and cultivated across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. It is widely revered in Ayurveda as a powerful anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and scraping (lekhan) drug of choice for managing painful edematous swellings, metabolic disorders, and microbial infections.
English name
Horse radish tree, Drumstick plant
Therapeutic Uses
Swelling (sopha), Gulma, Worms (krimiroga), Medoroga, Diseases of spleen (pliharoga), Abscess (vidradhi), Goitre (galaganda).[1]
Other Varieties / Other Botanical names
- Guilandina moringa L.
- Hyperanthera moringa (L.) Vahl
- Moringa pterygosperma Gaertn. nom. illeg.
Botanical Profile & Traditional Context
In traditional medicine, Shigru is classified as a potent Vata and Kapha pacifying agent with sharp (tikshna) and hot (ushna) properties. It is exceptionally valued for clearing deep-seated tissue toxins, reducing chronic inflammation, and rectifying lipid metabolism (medoroga).
Bhavaprakasha Nighantu
Mentioned 3 types[2]
- Shweta Shigru
- Shyama Shigru
- Rakta Shigru
Raja Nighantu
Mentioned 4 types[3]
- Shigru
- Nila Shigru
- Shweta Shigru
- Rakta Shigru
Synonyms in Charak Samhita
Shigru, Shobhanjana, Krishnagandha, Mochaka, Tikshnagandha, Madhushigru.
Additional Synonyms in Bhavprakasha Nighantu
Shobhanjana, Tikshnagandhaka, Akshiva, Maricha.[4]
Ayurvedic Pharmacological Properties
| Sr.no. | Pharmacological criteria | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taste (rasa) | Pungent (katu), Bitter (tikta) |
| 2 | Potency (veerya) | Hot (ushna) |
| 3 | Post digestion effect (vipaka) | Pungent (katu) |
| 4 | Qualities (guna) | Light (laghu), Rough (ruksha), Sharp (tikshna) |
| 5 | Actions (karma) | Pacify kapha and vata |
Reference in Charak Samhita and its actions
| Sr.no. | Reference in Charak Samhita | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 1/116 | Shodhana (Twak) vriksha (Parisarpa, Sotha, Arsha, Dadru, Vidradhi, Galaganda, Kustha, Alaji) |
| 2 | Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 2/3 | Shirovirechana (Errhine therapy) |
| 3 | Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 2/23 | Krimighniyavagu (gruel for worm infestation) |
| 4 | Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 3/4 | Churnapradeha (external application) |
| 5 | Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 4/9(22) | Svedopagmahakashaya (helping diaphoresis/sudation) |
| 6 | Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 4/9(27) | Shirovirechanopagmahakashaya (helping nasal errhine therapy) |
| 7 | Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 13/10 | Sthavara Sneha Yoni (Vegetable origin of lipids) |
| 8 | Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 14/31 | Dravya for Nadi Sweda (fomentation) |
| 9 | Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 14/32 | Dravya for Nadi Sweda (fomentation) |
| 10 | Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 23/19 | Santarpanajanya vikar chikitsa (management of disease due to over nutrition) |
| 11 | Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 27/170 | Harita Varga |
| 12 | Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 26/84 | Viruddha ahara (unwholesome diet) |
| 13 | Cha.Sa. Nidana Sthana 2/4 | Nidana of raktapitta (cause for bleeding disorder) |
| 14 | Cha.Sa. Vimana Sthana 6/17 | Abhyantar Krimi Chikitsa (treatment of worms) |
| 15 | Cha.Sa. Vimana Sthana 8/135 | Vamana dravyani |
| 16 | Cha.Sa. Vimana Sthana 8/142 | Katuskandha (group of pungent drugs) |
| 17 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 7/106 | Ingredient in Sweta-karavirapallavadhya Taila |
| 18 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 7/109 | Ingredient in Tiktekshvadi Taila for Abhyanga in Vata-Kaphaj Kushtha |
| 19 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 7/113 | Ingredient in Kanakakshiri Taila |
| 20 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 7/124 | Bahyaprayogarth Lepa in Vata-Kaphaj Kushtha |
| 21 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 8/79 | Ingredient in Shira-Pashva-Ansha Shula nashak lepa |
| 22 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 8/129 | Ingredient in Atisara nashak Khad-yush |
| 23 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 10/33 | Ingredient in oil preparation Bahyaprayogartha |
| 24 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 12/67 | As a Snana dravya for Bahyaprayogartha |
| 25 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 12/70 | Bahyaprayogarth Lepa in Kaphaja Shvayathu |
| 26 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 12/72 | As an Unmardan dravya in Kaphaj Shvayathu |
| 27 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 14/45 | Used in swedana kriya (fomentation) |
| 28 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 17/98 | Used in yusha preparation for hikka svasa |
| 29 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 23/183 | Used in netragata visha, as an anjana prayoga |
| 30 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 26/66 | Used in Ashmari |
| 31 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 26/67 | Used in Ashmari |
| 32 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 26/186 | Used in Kaphaja Siroroga for Avapeeda nasya |
| 33 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 26/226 | As an ingredient of Kshara taila |
| 34 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 26/237 | Used for aaschotana in Vataja netraroga |
| 35 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 26/240 | As an ingredient of Bruhatyadi varti |
| 36 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 26/245 | As an ingredient of Amrutadi varti |
| 37 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 27/52 | As an ingredient of Tarkaryadi Parisechana |
| 38 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 27/54 | As an ingredient of Vatsakadi Pralepa |
| 39 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 27/56 | As an ingredient of Shyonakdi Parisheka and Pralepa |
| 40 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 28/130 | As an ingredient of Triphaladi maha sneha |
| 41 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 28/168 | As an ingredient of Mulakadhya taila |
| 42 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 28/176 | As an ingredient of Mulaka taila |
Dose
- Swarasa (Juice): 10–20 ml.[1]
Important Formulations
As per A.P.I.[1]
- Ratnagiri Rasa
- Vishatinduka Taila
- Ekangavira Rasa
Current Availability
Available
- In India: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Odisha, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh.
- Out of India: Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Africa (Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia), South America (Brazil, Peru, Venezuela), Southern parts of United States, Saudi Arabia.
Phytochemical Composition
The leaves of Moringa oleifera are rich in proteins, minerals, vitamins (particularly C and E) and β-carotene, and in bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, tannins and saponins.[5]
- Flavonoids: Quercetin and kaempferol glycosides were the main phenolic compounds identified in methanolic leaf extracts.
- Phenolic acids: Salicylic acid (0.14–0.33 mg/100 g) and ferulic acid (6.61–9.69 mg/100 g) were found in leaves grown in Chad, the Sahrawi refugee camps and Haiti.
- Isothiocyanates (seeds): 4(α-L-rhamnosyloxy)benzyl isothiocyanate, an antimicrobial principle, makes up about 8–10% of defatted, shell-free seeds (see Antimicrobial Activity below).
Pharmacological Activities & Therapeutic Efficacy
Anti-inflammatory and Anti-arthritic Activity (Sopha)
- Scientific Evidence: In rats with complete Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis, an ethanol extract of Moringa oleifera leaves (250 and 500 mg/kg) was reported to prevent the development of arthritis or ameliorate its severity, and also showed dose-dependent anti-nociceptive activity in normal and arthritic rats.[6]
Antimicrobial Activity
- Scientific Evidence: 4(α-L-rhamnosyloxy)benzyl isothiocyanate was identified as an active antimicrobial agent from the seeds of Moringa oleifera and M. stenopetala. It acts on several bacteria and fungi; the minimal bactericidal concentration in vitro was 40 µmol/l for Mycobacterium phlei and 56 µmol/l for Bacillus subtilis. Roots of M. oleifera contain this compound and benzyl isothiocyanate but not pterygospermin, as had previously been suggested.[7]
Metabolic Disorders (Medoroga)
- Scientific Evidence: A review of studies on moringa leaf preparations given orally in chronic hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia reported beneficial changes in specific biochemical parameters of these conditions.[8]
Safety and Limitations of Evidence
- Clinical evidence: A review of the pharmacology of moringa leaves concluded that there are still too few studies in humans to recommend the leaves as medication for the prevention or treatment of diseases; the pharmacological findings cited above come from animal and in vitro studies.[9]
Summary of Therapeutic Profile
| Indication | Active Biomolecules | Primary Pharmacological Action |
|---|---|---|
| Inflammatory Swelling / Arthritis (Sopha) | Leaf ethanol extract (phenolics, flavonoids) | Anti-arthritic, anti-nociceptive (rat model) |
| Microbial Infections | 4(α-L-rhamnosyloxy)benzyl isothiocyanate (seeds) | Antibacterial, antifungal (in vitro) |
| Metabolic Disorders (Medoroga) | Leaf preparations | Beneficial changes in glycaemic and lipid parameters (reviewed studies) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Anonymous. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. Department of Ayush, Ministry of Health and Family welfare, Govt. of India, New Delhi, Part I. 1986; Volume II:69.
- ↑ Prof. K.C. Chunekar, Bhavprakasha Nighantu, Reprint 2015, Chaukhambha Vishvabharti, Guduchyadi Varga, p. 324.
- ↑ Dr. Indradev Tripathi, Raj Nighantu of Pandit Narahari, ed. 2006, Chaukhambha Krishnadas Academy, Varanasi; Mulakadi Varga, Verse no. 26-33, p. 193-194.
- ↑ Prof. K.C. Chunekar, Bhavprakasha Nighantu, Reprint 2015, Chaukhambha Vishvabharti, Guduchyadi Varga, p. 324.
- ↑ Leone, A.; et al. (2015). "Nutritional characterization and phenolic profiling of Moringa oleifera leaves grown in Chad, Sahrawi refugee camps, and Haiti". International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 16 (8): 18923–18937.
- ↑ Mahdi, H. J.; et al. (2018). "In vivo anti-arthritic and anti-nociceptive effects of ethanol extract of Moringa oleifera leaves on complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis in rats". Integrative Medicine Research. 7 (1): 85–94. doi:10.1016/j.imr.2017.11.002.
- ↑ Eilert, U.; Wolters, B.; Nahrstedt, A. (1981). "The antibiotic principle of seeds of Moringa oleifera and Moringa stenopetala". Planta Medica. 42 (5): 55–61. doi:10.1055/s-2007-971546.
- ↑ Mbikay, M. (2012). "Therapeutic potential of Moringa oleifera leaves in chronic hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia: a review". Frontiers in Pharmacology. 3: 24. doi:10.3389/fphar.2012.00024.
- ↑ Leone, A.; Spada, A.; Battezzati, A.; Schiraldi, A.; Aristil, J.; Bertoli, S. (2015). "Cultivation, genetic, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Moringa oleifera leaves: an overview". International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 16 (6): 12791–12835. doi:10.3390/ijms160612791.