Botanical Name: Smilax glabra Roxb.
Family: Liliaceae
Introduction:
Liliaceae (plant of the Lily tribe).
Latin name: Smilax Sarasaparila plant. Gk. Smile = rasping, the prickly stems; glabra = smooth, not having hairs (or china).
English name: China root.
Sanskrit names: Dwipantarvacha, hopchini, Topchini.
Botanical Description: It is an ascending and spreading type of creeper. Leaves – oval,
Flowers- small, white.
Roots – thick, heavy and brown coloured.
This tuber is itself known .and used as chopchini. Another plant, Smilex china, is also considered to be chopchini.
Habitat: The plant is originally from China and Japan but now also growing in Assam, Chemical composition:
Root contains fat, sugar, glucoside, pigments, saponine, gum and starch.
Chemical constituents:
Astilbin, 3-O-caffeoyl–shikimic, ferulic, palmitic, shikimic , succinic acids; engeletin, isoengeletin; glucose, daucosterol, beta-sitosterol, stigmastero
Properties:
Guna: laghu, ruksha:
Rasa: tikta;
Vipaka: katu:
Virya: ushna;
Dosha: tridoshanashak.
External uses: Its local application is helpful
as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory.
Internal uses: As it is a vatashamak and nervine tonic, it helps in schizophrenia, epilepsy and other brain disorders. Its digestive, carminative and laxative properties are useful in loss of appetite, flatulence. abdominal colic, constipation and intestinal parasites. Since it is a blood purifier and has anti-microbial activity, it is very useful in secondary and tertiary syphilis and cervical adenitis. Milk boiled with chopchini is used in skin diseases, impotency and other seminal disorders. A special preparation (pak) made from its tuber is used in gonorrhoea and associated arthritic symptoms. fever and general debility.
Dose: Tuber powder – 3 to 6 gms.
Srotogamitva:
Dosha: Tridoshanashak.
Dhatu: Majja, shukra, meda, in all the stages of syphilis for rasadi dhatus,
Mala: Purisha (anthelmintic).
Organ : Manovahasrotas (schizophrenia, epilepsy).
