Significances of Medicinal Plants to Human Being Many of the modern medicines are produced indirectly from medicinal plants,

for example aspirin. Plants are directly used as medicines by a majority of cultures around the world, for example Chinese medicine and Indian medicine. Many food crops have medicinal effects, for example garlic. Medicinal plants are resources of new drugs. It is estimated there are more than 250, 000 flower plant species. Studying medicinal plants helps to understand plant toxicity and protect human and animals from natural poisons. Cultivation and preservation of medicinal plants protect biological diversity, for example metabolic engineering of plants. The medicinal effects of plants are due to metabolites especially secondary compounds produced by plant species. Plant metabolites include: primary metabolites and secondary metabolites.

TINOSPORA Tinospora cordifolia Menispermaceae

San: Amrita, Guduchi; Hin, Ben: Giloe; Mal: Amritu, Chittamritu; Tam: Amridavalli Kan: Amritaballi; Tel: Tivantika, Tippatige; Pun: Batindu Ori: Gulochi

Importance
Tinospora is a common climbing shrub which is used in medicine, usually in the fresh state, though it is commercially available in the dried state. It is probably the most useful preparation acting as a tonic and aphrodisiac. As a tonic it is best given in infusion with or without milk. It is a popular remedy for snake-bite and leprosy. It is generally prescribed in general debility, diabetes, fever, jaundice, skin diseases, rheumatism, urinary diseases, dyspepsia, gout, gonorrhoea and leucorrhoea. It is a constituent of several preparations like guduchayado churna, gududyadi kwath, guduchilouha, amritarista, sanjivanivati, guduchi taila, amiritastak kwath, etc. The juice mixed with the pulp of long pepper and honey is a house hold remedy for gonorrhoea. Several oils for external applications are prepared with amrita and applied to skin diseases, rheumatic affections and other nervous complaints. A small quantity of bruised stem soaked for three hours in half a litre of water and strained combined with ammonium acetate is administered in intermittent and milder forms of fevers. It is rendered more agreeable with cinnamon, cloves and other aromatics. (Viswanathan, 1997).

Distribution
The plant is widely seen in tropical countries like India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and in Andaman Islands. It is mostly found trailing on forest trees, fences and hedges along the boundaries.

Botany
Tinospora cordifolia (Willd) Miers ex Hk. f & Thoms. syn. Menispermum cordifolium Willd, Cocculus cordifolius (Willd) DC. belongs to the family Menispermaceae. It is a climbing shrub with rough corky bark. Leaves are glabrous, cordate 5-10cm broad,

acute or accuminate. The plant is dioecious. Male flowers are in fascicles; sepals oval; petals half the length of sepals. Female flowers are usually solitary, having ovary on the fleshy receptacle. Fruits are red when ripe.

Properties and Activity

The plant contains cordifol, tinosporidine, tinosporide, perberilin, heptacosanol, sitosterol, cordifolone, tinosporon, tinosporic acid, tinosporol, cordifolide, tinosporine, magnoflorine and tembetarine (Husain et al,1992). The plant is antigonorrhoric, stomachic, antispasmodic, antiinflammatory, stimulant, diuretic, emetic, antidiabetic, aphrodisiac, antiperiodic, antileprotic antirheumantic and tonic. The root is an emetic in large doses. The tincture and extract are alterative and tonic and in a less degree antiperiodic and diuretic. (Dey,1980).