SAFED MUSALI

Introduction

    Safed Musli is a herb with sub-erect lanceolate leaves and tuberous root system. It can grow upto a maximum height of 1.5 ft. Tubers can grow upto a depth of 10". Safed Musli is a tiny annual herb that grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates with altitudes upto 1500 meters. Safed Musli has its origin in the India Subcontinent. 

    Safed Musli is an annual herb with Tubers, Crown, Leaf and Flowers as different parts. Naturally occurs in forests of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharastra Stateswhich are listed in the endangered species of India. There are around 256 varieties of Chlorophytum in the world which are yet known.

    Safed Musli belongs to family of Liliaceae. It was originally grown in thick forest in natural form, and is a traditional medicinal plant. Mainly its tuberous roots are used in ayurvedic medicines. Roots are used for the preparation of nutritive tonic used in general sexual weakness. These roots contain spermatogenetic, spermatorrhoea and chronic leucorrhoea due to some chemical content. It is partly a herb with sub-erect lanceolate leaves. Nowadays, there is a very vast demand all over the world (Specially gulf countries and cold countries). Due to its vast demand it is very costly.      

                         

Technical Specifications                                                                          

Hindi name of the Crop - Safed Musli 
Botanical name - Chlorophytum Borivilianum 
Application / Use - Tonic 
Growth of roots - Tubberous 
Seeds : Black triangular two seeds present in single locule
Class : Monocotyledons
Series : Coronarieae
Family : Liliaceae
Genus : Chlorophytum
Species : Borivilianum
Nature and Discription of Safed Musli
Carbohydrates (35-45%)
Proteins (5-10%)
Fibre (25-35%)
Saponins (2-20%)

Alkaloids (15-25%)                                                                                                                                  The Saponins and Alkaloids present in the plant are the primary source of its significant medicinal properties.                                                                                                                                      

Vernacular Names

Shaqaqule - (In Arabic)
Dholi Musli - (In Gujrati)
Khiruva - (In Hindi - U.P.)
Safed Musli - (In Marathi)
Shedheveli - (In Malyalam)
Swetha Musli - (In Sanskrit)
Swetha Musli - (In Telgu)                                                                     Taniravi Thang - (In Tamil)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Uses of Safed Musali                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  In the Ayurvedic literature, Safed Musli is celebrated as a Divya Aushad with unparalleled medicinal properties. It is a chief ingredient in the preparation of over a hundred Ayurvedic formulations. Besides its extensive use in Ayurveda and other conventional medicinal systems in Asia, Safed Musli is also gaining increasing acceptance as a vitalizer and health-giving tonic, a curative for pre-natal and post-natal problems, a restorative for immunity-improvement and as a remedy for diabetes and arthritis.

    Alongside, the recent discovery of Safed Musli as a natural and safe aphrodisiac agent has also opened up new channels of application and new demand for it. By virtue of being a herb, Safed Musli has been found to be an ideal aphrodisiac with no negative side-effects associated with chemical-based aphrodisiac. Realizing it, the Gujarat State Forest Development Corporation has lately launched a Safed Musli-based potency drug named Nai Chetna, which is gradually gaining acceptance as a superior alternative to The Indian Herbagra.                       

     The recent times have been a witness to the resurgence of medicinal plants in human healthcare. The spiraling popularity of plant-derived healthcare products can be traced to the advent of 'green health boom' across the world.

     Apart from its gradually growing use in pharmaceutical, phytopharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies, medicinal plants are finding increasing use as raw material in diverse industries- cosmetics, detergents, dyes, insecticides, paints etc. By virtue of being the home of Ayurveda, India has naturally been a huge market for Safed Musli. In addition, increasing awareness and appreciation of the 'natural goodness' of herbal products across the world has bolstered the demand for Safed Musli.

    Many countries in the Gulf, Europe and USA have traditionally been the major importers of the dry roots of Safed Musli for its use in the making of an assorted range of herbal products.

   Among the numerous uses and usage of Safed Musli, the most important of them include the following:

* For therapeutic application in Ayurveda, Unani and Allopathic medicines. 
* As a curative for physical weakness and many illnesses. 
* As a curative for natal and post-natal problems. 
* As an aphrodisiac agent and vitalizer. 
* As an effective alternative to The Indian Herbagra. 
* As a general sex tonic. 
* As an Immunity-improving drug. 
* As a remedy for diabetes. 
* As a remedy for arthritis.