Strychnos nux vomica
Linn.(Loganaceae) commonly known as Nux vomica (Kupeelu), is a poisonous plant and its
seeds are used widely in Ayurvedic system of medicine since time immemorial. Ayurveda advocates that nux vomica seeds are to
be administered in therapeutics only after going through certain purificatory measures (Shodhana). There are more than six media:
cow's urine (Go mutra), cow's milk (Go dugdha), cow’s ghee (Go ghrita), Kanji (thin gruel), castor oil (Eranda taila) and fresh
ginger juice (Ardraka swarasa) etc., which have been reported in different classical texts of Ayurveda for proper processing of nux
vomica seeds. In this study, an attempt has been made to purify the seeds by using three different methods as described in ancient
treatise by using cow's urine and cow's milk as media alone and together. This study revealed that all the methods studied
reduced the toxicity of strychnine and brucine contents in comparison to the raw seeds as determined by HPTLC. Out of these
three methods maximum reduction in strychnine and brucine contents was found when the seeds were purified by keeping them in
cow’s urine for seven days followed by boiling in cow's milk for three hrs.
