Correspondence Address:
Dr.Priya Popatrao Shinde B.A.M.S.M.D(Agadtantra) Associate Professor, Agadtantra Dept, Jupiter Ayurved Collage Nagpur. email-priyashinde2000@gmail.com, Mob.No.8308537172
Date of Acceptance: 2021-09-23
Date of Publication:2021-10-15
Article-ID:IJIM_101_10_21 https://ijim.co.in
Source of Support: Nil
Conflict of Interest: None Declared
How To Cite This Article: Shinde PP. A Ayurvedic Review on Bhallatak - An Irritant Organic Vegetable Poison. Int J Ind Med 2021;2(9):43-50.
Bhallataka is one of the Ayurvedic herbs. It is most powerful and fast acting. Its botanical name is Semecarpus anacardium. It belongs to Anacardaceae family. Since it is very hot in potency, it is a Irritant organic vegetable poison it is used only after purification procedures. Marking nuts (bhilwa) are black, heart-shaped with rough projection at the base. They have a thick, cellular pericarp, which contains an irritant juice which is brownish, oily and acrid but turns black exposure to air. Juice from seeds mixed with lime is used by Dhobi to mark clothes, so it is called as marking nut. The article highlights about classification, properties, purification, toxic effects ,use and treatment etc. Bhallataka (Semecarpus anacardium) is widely used therapeutically in diseases like Arsha, skin disease, ascites, Jwara, worm infestation etc. Bhallataka is mentioned in Upavisha varga by Rasatarangini and Dhanvantari Nighantu. But before using internally Shodhana sanskara(purification process) of Bhallataka should be carried out to avoid its toxic effect on the body.
Keywords: Marking Nut , Classification , Vegetable Poison, Properties , Treatment
