The herb Abrus precatorius belongs to the family Fabaceae. In Ayurveda, the herb is called Gunja. It is commonly known by various other names such as Rosary pea, Crab’s Eye, Weesboontje and Precatory Bean etc. This plant is native to Indonesia and is mostly found in the sub-tropical and tropical regions of the world.
Abrus is rich in various chemical constituents such as glycyrrhizin, abrol, abrasine, precol and precasine from the roots. It also contains various amino acids like serine, alanine, valine, choline and methyl ester. Some Ayurvedic properties and its medicinal uses are described in this article.
Ayurvedic Properties of Abrus
Abrus has the following Ayurvedic properties:
- Guna (Properties) — Dry (rukhsa), Sharp (Tikshna) and Light (laghu)
- Virya (Potency) — Bitter (Tikta) and Astringent (Kashaya)
- Rasa (Taste) — Hot (Ushna)
Medicinal Uses of Abrus
The leaves, seeds and roots of the herb are used for medicine preparations. It has the following medicinal uses :
- Jaundice — The roots of this herb are used to treat jaundice and haemoglobinuric bile.
- Promotes hair — Seeds contain oil, which can be extracted and applied to promote hair growth.
- Grey hair — Juice is extracted from leaves and used to treat grey hair conditions.
- Fever — The leaves of the herb are used to cure fever, cough and cold.
- Joints pain — The seeds can be made into the paste form and applied to paining joints to treat sciatica, shoulder or joints stiffness and paralysis.
- Abdominal pains — The roots are made into paste form to treat tumors and abdominal pains.
- In Siddha medicine, the oil obtained from white seeds is considered equivalent to Viagra. The seeds of this herb are also considered to have various other properties such as antimicrobial, anodyne, expectorant, diuretic, purgative and aphrodisiac.
Abrus herb causes no toxic effects when taken in moderate amounts. If the amounts are exceeded, it can lead to vomiting, diarrhea and nausea. It may also lead to poisoning when take in too higher doses. The seeds are highly poisonous and they can lead to uterine dysfunctions and inhibit conception. Thus, Abrus herb should be taken under medical supervision.
