Tinospora cordifolia

It is an Indian plant, found throughout the warmer parts of India. In Hindi, it is known as ‘Giloy’. It is large glabrous climber with succulent, corky, grooved stem, branches sending down slender pendulous fleshy roots, terete, striate with tubercled, pale, sometimes shining or glaucous bark. Leaves are membranous, 7 to 9 nerved and 5 to 10cm in diameter, cordate, glabrous, acute or acuminate; patiole 2.5 to 7 cm long. Racemes exceeding the leaves, axillary, terminal, bracts subulate. 

It contains alkaloids including berberine, choline, tembetarine, magnoflorine and tinosporin, diterpenoid lactones, glycosides, steroids, sesquiterpenoid, aliphatic compound, and other bitter substances. 

A homoeopathic tincture is made from the stem. It is covered by Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India. Acute or chronic fever; temperature rises in the afternoon with chill and shivering, bilious vomiting with thirst and headache. Chronic slow fever with history of gonorrhoea and weakness due to seminal loss. Bad effect of quinine which causes continuation of fever with burning in hands, face; jaundice, etc. It is reported to increase platelet count and reduce the body temperature in short duration particularly in dengue fever. Frequent passage of small quantity of urine with burning while urinating; urine mixed with pus.

Recommended dose: Ø/1x, 10-20 drops.

Caution: The phytochemicals are reported to be abortive, as such, it should not be used during pregnancy.

References: 

1. Priyank Bharati, Rajashree Sinha, The Effect of Tinospora Cardifolia (Wild) Miers and Boerhaavia Diffusia Linn on Dengue, International Journal of Ayurvedic and Herbal Medicine, Vol 2, No 03 (2012) http://www.interscience.org.uk/index.php/ijahm/article/view/237.
2. P. N. Varma, Indu Vaid, Encyclopaedia of Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia, Updated edition 2007, B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi.
3. Chauhan D.S., Lata S., Sharma R.K., Jindal M., Gupta A.K., Suman A., Rehman S., Malik P. Evaluation of role of Tinospora Cordifolia (T.cord.) in experimentally induced (busulfan induced) thrombocytopenia in rabbits. Paripex-Indian Journal Of Research, Volume : 5, Issue : 6, June – 2016
4. Manoj Kumar Sarangi, Shasank Soni, A Review on Giloy: The Magic Herb, Inventi Rapid: Planta Activa Vol. 2013, Issue 2.
5. Madiha Mehboob, Faisal Nouroz and Shumaila Noreen, Natural and Herbal Remedies for Dengue Prevention, Pakistan Journal of Clinical and Biomedical Research, Vol. 2 No. 2 Jul. – Dec. 2014.
6. F. Schroyens, Synthesis Treasure Edition 2009V, RadarOpus 1.33 (Homoeopathic Software), Archibel S.A. Rue Fontaine St. Pierre 1E, Zoning Industriel de la Fagne, 5330 Assesse, Belgium.
7. Dr. P. N. Varma, Kusum Yadav,Ramachandran Valavan, A Compendium of Rare and Clinically Established Mother Tinctures, 4th Edition, Dr. Willmar Schwabe India Pvt. Ltd., A-36, Sector 60, Noida