"Categorize native plants ayurvedically

Categorize native plants ayurvedically
Kalyani Nagersheth M.D.
The idea for this work arose because for allopathically trained doctors in Germany who practice āyurvedische medicine, overlaps, but also differences are noticeable. For example, in āyurvedischen Medicine dill seeds are recommended especially for dysmenorrhea, but in western practice they have proven to be completely ineffective for this indication. A publication (Schmidt S, Melzig MF. Anethum graveolens L. - The Dill. Zeitschrift für Phytotherapie 2013; 34: 249 -254), clarifies this disproportion: Indian dill is Anethum graveolens sowa, European dill is Anethum graveolens graveolens. The two subspecies differ in the composition of the essential oil in the fruits, which is responsible for the spasmolytic effect. This leads to the conclusion that not all plants have the āyurvedischen indications in Europe.
Other examples are found for plants that belong to the same species but have completely different indications in India and Europe. For example Vitex agnus castus (relevant in Europe in gynaecology) and Vitex negundo (used in Āyurveda for pain therapy).

Āyurvedische Classification of plants
In Āyurveda all substances are categorized according to rasa (taste), guņa (property), vīrya (thermal potency) and vipāka (effect after digestion - systemic effect). Now the native plants are not categorized according to this system. Therefore, one has to find a different solution. The taste (rasa) is usually well perceptible. However, plants are mixtures of many substances and therefore often have several flavours next to each other. Here we divide into dominant and secondary tastes. The properties (guņa) are also sometimes clearly perceptible, e.g. a comfrey root is very slimy. When determining the properties, however, the ingredients of the plants are also helpful, e.g. tannins are always drying, mucilages are always slimy, etc. The thermal potency (vīrya) is felt after taking the plant, the human being feels hot or cold. In order to feel this clearly, however, a high dose is required. According to the āyurvedischen doctrine, there are connections between rasa and vīrya which facilitate this classification: the sour, salty and pungent taste causes heat; the sweet, bitter and astringent taste causes cold. Of course there are exceptions, which are based on experience. Similarly, the effect after digestion (vipāka) can be classified: the sweet and salty tastes form a "sweet" vipāka; the sour taste remains "sour"; the pungent, bitter and astringent tastes act "pungent" after digestion.