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Gentiana kurroo Royle.

Introduction

Gentiana kurroo Royle belongs to the family The Gentianaceae and is a critically endangered medicinal plant species, endemic to the northwestern Himalayas. A number of medicinal herbs have been found to be useful for pharmacological activities, like anti-inflammatory and immuno suppressive effects. Throughout the world different types of inflammatory diseases like rheumatic diseases are very common. A major cause in development of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases is alteration in the T-cell responses and irregular functioning of the immune system. Gentiana Kurro Royle is a herb to prevent such issues.

Local name : Karu, Kaur, Trayamana, Indian Genitian.

Scientific name : Gentiana Kurro Royle

Availability / Altitude : 1800 meter to 5000 meter
Part of plants used as medicinal herbs: Roots and Rhizome Pieces.

This plant is found in Western and Northwestern Himalayas between altitude of 2500 and 5000 meter in Nepal. The root contains gentiopicrin, gentianic acid, a pectin and a sugar which are naturally found in the plant and are also main ingredients used in this plant as a medicinal herb.

Uses

Karu is used as a bitter tonic, stomachic and febrifuge. It is considered to be an anthelmintic, blood purifier, carminative, diphoretic, digestive, useful in hepatic disorder and urinary affections and is a well known remedy for fattening the horses.

It enters into the most of the stomachic and tonic preparations like Sudarshan churna, Arogyavardhini-vati, Punarva-mandoor,etc.

Preparations

It requires a cool temperature and well drained moist soils. Propagation is through seed, by cutting or by root divisions. Seed should be sown as soon as ripe. Attempts have recently been made to propagete the plant through tissue culture. The current market rate for the medicinal herb is Rs 150-Rs 165 per kg (1.35 $-1.5 $).

Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Amit Sijapati for this oppurtunity to research about many herbs and it helped us to know about many herbs from which we were unknown before.