Common Name:

Psoralea seeds

Sanskrit Name:

Bakuchi: Means which pacifies Vata in the body

Avalguja:

Krushnabeeja: Means which has black seeds

Kushthaghni: Means which alleviates all the skin diseases

Putiphali: Means whose fruits smell bad

Lt. Name:

Psoralia corylifolia - Leguminosae

Bio energetics:

Rasa (Taste) – Katu (Pungent); Tikta (Bitter)

Guna (Characteristics) – Laghu (Light); Ruksha (Un- unctuous)

Veerya (Potency) – Ushna (Hot)

Vipaka (Post digestion effect) – Katu (Pungent)

Chemical composition:

Psoralen and isopsoralen are the active principles of the drug. Bavachinin -A a flavanone isolated from the fruits revealed marked anti-inflammatory and mild analgesic properties.

Effect on Tridosha (Three bio humors):

Bakuchi pacifies Kapha and Vata Doshas; i.e. Bakuchi can be used in all the diseases which originate from aggravation of Kapha/ Pitta or Kapha – Pitta.

• Krimihara: Bakuchi is useful in all infectious infestations.
  
• Kushthahara: Bakuchi alleviates all skin diseases
  
• Twakdoshahara: Bakuchi removes all the toxins from the skin and rejuvenates it.
  
• Vishaprashamani: Bakuchi cleans our body from all the toxins
  
• Keshya: Bakuchi is rejuvenating herb for hair
  
• Shwaskasnut: Bakuchi is useful in respiratory discomfort and all types of cough

Medicinal value:

• Psoralea corylifolia, its extract and its fat-soluble fraction have notable effect against Helicobacter pylori and can treat these diseases such as gastritis, peptic ulcer and so on caused by infection of Helicobacter pylori. They especially have good therapeutic action on active gastritis, gastric erosion, gastric ulcer, and gastro-duodenal ulcer. They also have therapeutic or preventive action on gastric lymphoma, early carcinoma of stomach, moderate metaplasia and proliferation of intestinal glands.
  
• The use of Psoralea corylifolia for anti infection caused by Helicobacter Pylori and for treatment of diseases caused by infection of Helicobacter Pylori SHANGHAI INSTITUTE OF MATERIA MEDICA, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [CN/CN]; 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203 (CN) (All Except US). ZHEJIANG ZHENYUAN PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD. [CN/CN]; 1015 West Shengli Rd., Shaoxing, Zhejiang 312000 (CN) (All Except US).YUE, Jianmin [CN/CN]; (CN) (US Only). FAN, Chengqi [CN/CN]; (CN) (US Only). DONG, Lei [CN/CN]; (CN) (US Only). WU, Yan [CN/CN]; (CN) (US Only). REN, Bingjun [CN/CN]; (CN) (US Only). FAN, Weiming [CN/CN]; (CN) (US Only).
• Extracts obtained from seeds of Psoralea corylifolia showed several degrees of antifungal activity againstTrichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Epidermophyton floccosum and Microsporum gypseum by the disc diffusion method on a Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) medium. Methanol extract of the seeds at 250 ?g exhibited the maximum inhibition with a halo of 28 mm diameter. Six different bands were obtained when the methanol extract was subjected to TLC. ¹³C NMR and Mass spectra revealed that the active compound would be a flavonoid, 4?-methoxy flavone. MIC of the active compound along with standard miconazole was carried out using tube dilution technique.
  

• Antidermatophytic activity of extracts from Psoralea corylifolia (Fabaceae) correlated with the presence of a flavonoid compound N. Rajendra Prasad, K. V. Pugalendi 

  Department of Biochemistry, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar 608 002, Tamilnadu, India C. Anandi Department of Microbiology, RMMC & H, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar 608 002, Tamilnadu, India, and S. Balasubramanian Department of Chemistry, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar 608 002, Tamilnadu, India
• Psoralea corylifolia L. has been used in Chinese and Indian traditional medicine for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases of the skin and to improve vitality. Our data show that the extract obtained from the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia L. decreased mitochondrial complex I and proteasome activities; and oxidative stress might be an early event.
  
• Psoralea corylifolia L. Inhibits Mitochondrial Complex I and Proteasome Activities in SH-SY5Y Cells; SOON YEW TANG, JAN GRUBER , KIM PING WONG , AND BARRY HALLIWELL Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore 119260
• The MeOH extract of the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia L. was found to inhibit the aggregation of rabbit platelets induced by arachidonic acid, collagen, and platelet activating factor. Bioassay-directed fractionation led to the isolation of three flavonoids, isobavachalcone (1), neobavaisoflavone (2), and bavachin (3). Compounds 1 and 2 inhibited platelet aggregation.
  
• Antiplatelet Flavonoids from Seeds of Psoralea corylifolia Wei-Jern Tsai, Wen-Chi Hsin, and Chien-Chih Chen; National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, No. 155-1, Sec. 2, Li-Nung Street, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
• Bioassay-guided fractionation of the H(2)O extract of the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia furnished one hepatoprotective compound, bakuchiol (1), together with two moderately active compounds, bakuchicin (2) and psoralen (3), on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in human liver-derived Hep G2 cells. The EC(50) values of compounds 1 - 3 are 1.0, 47.0, 50.0 microg/ml, respectively. Silymarin as a positive control showed the EC(50) value with 5.0 microg/ml.
  
• Bakuchiol: a hepatoprotective compound of Psoralea corylifolia on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells. Cho H, Jun JY, Song EK, Kang KH, Baek HY, Ko YS, Kim YC. MRRC and College of Pharmacy, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Korea.
• Analytical and pharmacological data obtained from the study suggest that P. corylifolia L. significantly inhibits proliferation of sensitive and MDR cancer cells in vitro, psoralen and isopsoralen are responsible for the anticancer activity. The mechanism of apoptosis induction and the synergic cytotoxic effect will be the focus of future studies, because the seed of P. corylifolia L. is a commonly used botanical medicine.
  
• Screening Antitumor Compounds Psoralen and Isopsoralen from Psoralea corylifolia L. Seeds Yi Wang, Chengtao Hong, Chenguang Zhou, Dongmei Xu, Hai-bin Qu and Yiyu Cheng; Department of Chinese Medicine Science & Engineering, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

Useful part:

Seed; Seed oil 

Doses:

Powder: 1-3 gm