Dadima

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Dadima (Punica granatum)

Sanskrit Names: Dadima
English Name: Pomegranate
Hindu Name:
Botanical Name: Punica granatum
Synonyms:
Family: Punicacaceae

Description

A large shrub, or small tree, smooth bark, grey, thin, bark with small thorns. Leaves are opposite,2.03-6.3 long. oblong, elliptic, shiny above, bright green. Flowers 3.8-5cm, mostly solitary or 3-4 together, calyx tube. Fruits 3-8-7.5cm. glaboruse, external skin is woody interior separated with membranous structure, multiple seeds with watery outer coat containing pink juice. Fruits astringent in taste and odourless.
Varieties: sweet,sour; sweet and sour mixed. Besides taste, varieties based on location where they are produced and cultivated.
Flowering and fruiting time: spring to summer to rainy or autumn onwards.

Principle Constituents

Sugar 15%, pectine and other substances. Root contains liquid alkaloid pelleterisne; also contains two inactive alkaloids. Bark yeilds alkaloid pelleterine; rootbark contains four alkaloids, pseudo-pelleterine, palleterin, isopelleterine and methylpelleterine.

Classical Categories (Gana)

Caraka Ganas: Hridya, Chardi nigrahana

Susruta Ganas: Parushakadi

Energetics

Rasa (taste): Kashaya (astringent), Madhura (sweet), Amla (sour)

Guna (quality): Laghu (light), Snigdha (unctuous)

Virya (energy): Anushana (neither heating or cooling)

Vipaka (post digestive effect): Madhura (sweet) or Amla (sour)

Prabhava (Special quality): none

Dosha Effect: KPV- (if sweet) P- (if sour) P+

Dhatus (tissues): Rasa, Rakta, Meja, Sukra

Srotas (channels): Annavaha, Rasavaha

Chemical Constituents

Ayurveda Actions

Balya - building

Deepana - stimulates digestion

Grahi - prevents explusion of excess malas

Hridya - heart tonic

Jwaraghna - anti-pyretic

Kapha nissaraka - Kapha removing

Kantya - good for the throat

Kaphagna - pacifies kapha

Krimighna - destroys parasites

Medhya - brain tonix

Mutrala - diuretic

Rochana -enhances taste

Shotahara - anti-inflammatory

Sukra varadhana - increasing

Tarpana -fulfilling

Important Actions

Excellent for diarrhoea, especially in children. Okay for fevers. Good for morning sickness.

Indications

Internal - Hridya roga, rakta pitta, mukha roga, rakta vikara, brain disorders, mukha paka – mouth ulcers, amla pitta – acid reflux, atisara, aroochi, krumi, kapa vataja vikara, arsha, chest congestion, shwasa, jwara, weakness.

External – Mukha, kantha vikara, vrana – worms, sexually transmitted diseases – syphilis, gonorrhoea, breast disorders, eye – juice.

Organs: Liver, duodenum, rectum, spleen, uterus. (Haemorrhoids – chitraka is the best rasayan for all disorders caused due to improper function of agni)

Therapeutic uses

Fruit juice: eyes, mouth, krumi, dysentery. Leaves: chewing. Mouth: ulcers.
Anaradana/seeds: use in curries 2-4 seeds for sour taste. Bark: decoctions, gargles.
Dhooma: constricts and cleans, antiseptic, healing, heals stitches also decoctions, good on tampons soaked in decoction. For krumi. Twaka: Outer skin of fruit is kashaya and a bit tikta binding fiarrhea.

Precautions

none-known

Safety

No drug-herb interactions known.

Parts Used

Parts used: Fruits seed, pericarp of the fruit, root bark, juice.

Dosage: Juice: 15-60ml; Decoction: 40-80ml

Important Combinations

Dadima-ashtaka churna, dadima churna, ghruta, taila

Research