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Asafoetida is the oleo-gum resin obtained by incising the
living rhizomes and roots of Ferula assa-foetida L., F.
rubricaulis Boiss., F. foetida Regel and other species of
Ferula.
Common Name(s) in English & Indian Languages
Sanskrit: Ramaha, Sahasravedhi
Assamese: Hin
Bengali: Hing
English: Asfoetida
Guajarati: Hing, Vagharni
Hindi: Hing, Hingda
Kannada: Hing, Ingu
Kashmiri: Eng
Malayalam: Kayam
Marathi: Hing, Hira, Hing
Oriya: Hengu, Hingu
Punjabi: Hing
Tamil: Perungayam
Telugu: Inguva
Urdu: Hitleet, Hing
Botanical description:
It is a perennial plant which attains a height of upto 12
feet in wild with a circular mass of 30-40 cm leaves. The
stem leaves have wide sheathing petioles. Flowering stems
are 2.5-3 m high and 10 m thick and hollow. These flowering
stems have number of schizogenous ducts in the cortex
containing resinous gums. The flowers are small and dirty
yellow colored produced in large compound umbels. Fruits of
this plant are oval, thin, flat, reddish brown in color and
contain milky substance. Roots are thick, massive and pulpy.
The foul odor comes from the resin like gum extracted from
the stems and roots.
Parts used:
Oleo gum resin obtained by incising the living rhizomes and
roots.
Major chemical constituents:
Sesquiterpenecoumarins which are foetidine, saradaferin,
10-R-acetoxy-11-hydroxyumbelliprenin, 10-R-karatavicinol,
methyl galbanate, lehmferin, feselol, ligupersin A,
microlobin and polyanthinin. Apart from the aforesaid
sesquiterpenes and the volatile polysulphides the various
other phytoconstituents are the diterpenes like the
7-oxocallitrisic acid, picealactone C,
15-hydroxy-6-en-dehydroabietic acid, various phenolic
compounds like vanillin,
3,4-dimethoxycinnamyl-3-(3,4-diacetoxyphenyl) acrylate,
acetylenes such as falccarinolone and various other
miscellaneous compounds such as oleic acid and β-sitosterol
Therapeutic uses:
• Gastric ulcer/Duodenal ulcer/Colic (Sularoga)
• Flatulance with gurgling sound (Adhmana)
• Abdominal lump (Gulma)
• Heart disease (Hridroga)
• Worm infestation (Krimiroga)
• Ascites (Udararoga)
• Digestive impairment (Agnimandya)
• Distension of abdomen due to obstruction to
passage of urine and
stools (Anaha)
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