Shamim Ahmed

Plants are of the main sources of medicine and a large numbers of drugs in use are derived from plants. The therapeutic uses of plant are secure, inexpensive & effectual as their ease of accessibility. Among the plants known for medicinal value, the plants of genus Lavendula belonging to family Lamiaceae are very imperative for their therapeutic potentials. Lavendula stoechus Linn, known as Ustukhuddus is such plant origin drug familiar in Unani literature which possesses a lot of pharmacological actions viz; Dafe Tashannuj, Dafe Suda, Mufarreh Qalb Wa Dimagh, Muqawwi Aasab, Jaroobe Dimagh etc. and few are scientifically evaluated and many are yet to be evaluated.  The present review attempts to cover the up to date complete literature analysis on Ustukhuddus with esteem to its phytochemistry, pharmacognostic characters and it’s a variety of pharmacological activities.

Piper cubeba known as Kabab Chini in Unani Medicine, belongs to the family Piperaceae, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions and this herb is mentioned in traditional Unani texts as an effective remedy for Renal disorder, Gonorrhoea, Leucorrhoea, Fever,  Rheumatism, Diabetes etc. It was found that the qualitative phytochemical study of this plant extract indicates the presence of many essential oils such consisting of monoterpenes: sesquiterpenes, germacene, cubebin, β-pinene etc. It chiefly possesses anti-microbial activity. Piperine is an amide (alkaloid) found naturally in plants belonging to the pyridine group of Piperaceae family, such as Piper cubeba and Piper nigrum which is widely used in various herbal cough syrups. Unani physicians on the basis of their own experience affirmed that Kabab Chini is one of the best drug for the treatment of Amra’z-e- Kullia (Renal diseases) and especially in restoring the normalcy of renal functioins. Ibn-Hubal Baghdadi (1121–1213 AD.) mentioned in his Kitab Al-Mukhtarat Fit Tibb about Kabab Chini. “Gurdon ka tanqiyah karti hai, Jigar ke suddon ko kholti hai,  unki pathri aur regh kharij krti hai.” Medicinal plants may serve as a vital source of potentially useful new compounds for the development of effective therapy to combat a variety of kidney problems. Many herbs have been claimed to possess nephroprotective properties but lacks scientific evidence. A concerted attempt has been made to highlight the healing corollary of Kabab Chini as mentioned in Unani medicine as to its nephroprotective property in the light of ancient Unani classics and recent scientific studies.