Talk:Jyotishmati
| Section/Chapter | Herb database/Jyotishmati |
|---|---|
| Botanical name(s) | Celastrus paniculatus Willd. |
| Family | Celastraceae |
| Availability | Available |
| Contributors | Team Dravyaguna |
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Publisher | Charak Samhita Research, Training and Skill Development Centre |
| DOI | Awaited |
Celastrus paniculatus Willd., popularly known as Jyotishmati (Staff tree, Intellect tree), is a large woody climbing shrub native to the hills of India. It is regarded in Ayurveda as a Medhya (intellect-promoting) herb and is traditionally used for memory loss, diseases of the nervous system and skin disorders.
English name
Staff tree, Intellect tree
Therapeutic Use
Vatavyadhi (diseases of nervous system), Smruti dourbalya (memory loss), Svitra (hypopigmentation disorder of skin)[1]
Other varieties / Other botanical names
- Celastrus dependens Wall.
- Celastrus montana
- Celastrus multiflora
- Celastrus nutans
- Celastrus senegelensis
- Celastrus spinoses
Identification characters
- Lata – Jyotishmati is a climber.
- Paravatapadi – Root of Jyotishmati resembles legs of pigeon.
- Sphutatvacha – Stem bark has shining white dots over its surface.
- Suvarnalatika – Jyotishmati has yellow coloured flowers.
- Sukshmaphala – Fruits are small in size.
- Kakandi – Fruits of Jyotishmati resemble eggs of crow.
- Pitataila – The oil prepared from Jyotishmati is yellow in colour.
Traditional Context
In Ayurveda, Jyotishmati is categorized as a nervine tonic and Medhya drug. Its seed oil (Jyotishmati taila) is used for Vata disorders and for sharpening intellect.
Synonyms in Charak Samhita
Jyotishmati
Additional Synonyms in Bhavaprakasha Nighantu
Katabhi, Jyotishka, Kangani, Paravatapadi, Panya, Lata, Kakundani[2]
Ayurvedic pharmacological properties
| Sr.no. | Pharmacological criteria | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taste (rasa) | Pungent (katu), Bitter (tikta) |
| 2 | Potency (veerya) | Hot (ushna) |
| 3 | Post-digestion effects (vipaka) | Pungent (katu) |
| 4 | Qualities (guna) | Sharp (tikshna) |
| 5 | Actions (karma) | Pacify vata and kapha |
| 6 | Extraordinary effect (prabhava) | Promotes intellect (medhya) |
Reference in Charak Samhita and its actions
| Sr.no. | Reference in Charak Samhita | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 1/78 | Mulini (Shirovirecha) (Errhine therapy) |
| 2 | Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 4/9(27) | Shirovirechanopagmahakashay |
| 3 | Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 5/26 | Vairechanikadhumavarti |
| 4 | Cha.Sa.Kalpa Sthana 1/23 | Vamanartha (for therapeutic emesis) |
Dose
Important Formulations
As per A.P.I.[1]
- Smritisagara rasa
- Jyotishmati taila
Current availability
Available
- In India – Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andaman Islands.
- Out of India – Australia, China, Taiwan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam.
Phytoconstituents
Seeds, seed oil and other parts of Celastrus paniculatus contain the following major classes of secondary metabolites:[3]
- Sesquiterpenes: β-dihydroagarofuran sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpene polyol esters (e.g. malkanguniol, malkangunin).
- Alkaloids: celastrine, celapanin, celapagin, paniculatin.
- Triterpenoids: β-amyrin, lupeol, pristimerin.
- Sterols and tocopherols: β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol.
- Fatty acids: palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic acids.
- Flavonoids and phenolics, and non-fatty acids such as benzoic and cinnamic acid.
Pharmacological Activities and Therapeutic Efficacy
All studies below are preclinical (animal or in vitro). No controlled human clinical trial is cited in this monograph.
Nootropic / Memory-enhancing activity (Medhya)
Chronic oral administration of C. paniculatus seed oil (50, 200 or 400 mg/kg for 14 days) completely reversed scopolamine-induced deficits in the Morris water maze in rats, whereas a single acute dose did not. The effect was not related to an anticholinesterase-like action.[4]
Neuroprotective activity
Water-soluble extracts of the seed significantly attenuated glutamate-induced neuronal death in rat forebrain neuronal cultures; the protection was linked to modulation of glutamate (NMDA) receptor function.[5]
Antioxidant activity
The aqueous seed extract (200 mg/kg for 14 days) improved learning and memory in rats, and an antioxidant effect was suggested to be involved in this cognitive enhancement.[6]
Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory activity
The alcoholic seed extract (500 and 1000 mg/kg) showed antinociceptive activity in mice (tail immersion and hot plate tests) and significantly reduced carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats, supporting the traditional use in painful Vata disorders.[7]
Wound-healing activity
Lupeol, a triterpenoid isolated from the petroleum-ether extract of the leaves, applied as 0.2% gel promoted healing in excision, incision and dead-space wound models in rats; docking with glycogen synthase kinase-3β supported the finding. This study used the leaf-derived compound, not the seed oil.[8]
Safety, Toxicity and Dosage
- Toxicity: In an OECD-guideline study in rats, C. paniculatus seed oil was found safe up to 2000 mg/kg body weight.[9]
- Precautions (Ayurvedic, no experimental reference cited): Use under physician supervision in pregnancy, lactation, and in persons with Pitta aggravation or hyperacidity, in view of its ushna and tikshna attributes.
- Standard therapeutic dose: Seed powder 1–2 g; seed oil 5–15 drops, or as directed by an Ayurvedic physician (see Dose above).
Summary of Therapeutic Profile
| Indication | Part / preparation studied | Principal finding |
|---|---|---|
| Memory loss / Smruti dourbalya | Seed oil | Reversal of scopolamine-induced memory deficit in rats |
| Neuroprotection | Water-soluble seed extracts | Attenuation of glutamate-induced neuronal death in vitro |
| Neurological pain / Vatavyadhi | Alcoholic seed extract | Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity in rodents |
| Wounds | Lupeol (leaf-derived) | Enhanced wound healing in rats |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 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:29
- ↑ Shri Bhavamishra, Bhavaprakash Nighantu, Haritakyadi Varga, Verse no. 150 - 151, Edited by Padmashree Pro. Krushnachandra Chunekar, Reprint Edition, Chaukhambha Bharati Academy, 2015;
- ↑ Nagpal, K.; Garg, M.; Arora, D.; Dubey, A.; Grewal, A. S. (2022). "An extensive review on phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of Indian medicinal plant Celastrus paniculatus Willd". Phytotherapy Research. 36 (5): 1930–1951. doi:10.1002/ptr.7424.
- ↑ Gattu, M.; Boss, K. L.; Terry, A. V. Jr; Buccafusco, J. J. (1997). "Reversal of scopolamine-induced deficits in navigational memory performance by the seed oil of Celastrus paniculatus". Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. 57 (4): 793–799. doi:10.1016/s0091-3057(96)00391-7.
- ↑ Godkar, P. B.; Gordon, R. K.; Ravindran, A.; Doctor, B. P. (2004). "Celastrus paniculatus seed water soluble extracts protect against glutamate toxicity in neuronal cultures from rat forebrain". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 93 (2-3): 213–219.
- ↑ Kumar, M. H. V.; Gupta, Y. K. (2002). "Antioxidant property of Celastrus paniculatus Willd.: a possible mechanism in enhancing cognition". Phytomedicine. 9 (4): 302–311. doi:10.1078/0944-7113-00136.
- ↑ Kulkarni, Y. A.; Agarwal, S.; Garud, M. S. (2015). "Effect of Jyotishmati (Celastrus paniculatus) seeds in animal models of pain and inflammation". Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine. 6 (2): 82–88. doi:10.4103/0975-9476.146540.
- ↑ Harish, B. G.; Krishna, V.; Santosh Kumar, H. S.; Khadeer Ahamed, B. M.; Sharath, R.; Kumara Swamy, H. M. (2008). "Wound healing activity and docking of glycogen-synthase-kinase-3-β-protein with isolated triterpenoid lupeol in rats". Phytomedicine. 15 (9): 763–767.
- ↑ Mishra, B.; John, E. (2020). "Toxicity profile of Celastrus paniculatus seeds: a preclinical study". Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research. 13 (7). doi:10.22159/ajpcr.2020.v13i7.37803.