IJCRR

IJCRR - 5(20), October, 2013

Pages: 16-21

Date of Publication: 02-Nov-2013

GULNAR (FLOWER OF PUNICA GRANATUM LIN): PRECIOUS MEDICINAL HERB OF UNANI MEDICINE- AN OVERVIEW

Author: Nazamuddin, Wadud Abdul, Najeeb Jahan, Tanwir Alam M. , Nafis M IqbalAsim Mohammad Khan

Category: General Sciences

Abstract:Plant origin drugs play very important role in the prevention and treatment of diseases and it becomes popular day by day due to its low cost and less side effect. Unani medicine is an oldest system of traditional medicines, in which 80% plant origin drugs are used. Gulnar (flower of Punica granatum Linn) is very important drug which has been used in Unani medicine since centuries for its great medicinal values. In the last few decades, many works have been done on the phytochemistry and biological activities of the drug. This review describes about the Unani literature of the drug, like temperament, action, uses, formulations and dose of the drug followed by modern description like taxonomic classification, macroscopic and microscopic features, phytochemical studies, chemical constituent and pharmacological action of the drug and its medicinal uses.

Keywords: Anar, Traditional medicine, Pomegranate, Temperament of drug, Unani Literature.

Full Text:

Habita and Geographical Distribution^5,6

The tree is found in Persia, Arabia, Afghanistan and Baluchistan and cultivated nearly all over India. It grows in vast tract of the hills slopes of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh between 900 m. and 1,800 m.

Botanical Description²

It is an attractive shrub or small tree 20-30 ft height, bark smooth grey, thin, branched less or more spiny. Leaves are evergreen or deciduous, opposite or in whorls of 5 or 6, short stem, oblong, lanceolate 3/8 to 4 inch long and leathery. Blowers are borne on the branch tips singly or as many as 5 in a cluster. Fruit 3.5- 7.5cm in diameter, globose, tipped with the calyx, rind coriaceous, woody, the interior septate with membranous walls of the carpels, each carpel containing numerous seeds, angular from mutual pressure. Seeds with a watery outer coat contain pink juicy and a horny inner coat. Flowers are 3.8-5cm long and as much across, mostly solitary, sometimes 2-4 together, terminating short shoots, sometimes apparently axillary sessile or nearly so. Calyx-tube campanulate, adnate to and produced beyond the ovary, coriaceous, lobes 5-7, valvate. Petals 5-7, obovate, scarlet, wrinkled, inserted between the calyx lobes, Stamens are numerous, inserted on the calyx below the petals at various levels; anthers elliptic, dehiscing longitudinally, ovary inferior, many celled, the cells arranged in two concentric circles; style long, bent; stigma capitates. Carpel early coalescing and owing to unequal growth becoming arranged in 2 tires, 3 in the lower and 5-9 in the upper

Macroscopic Features

The flowers of Gulnar are described as bell-shaped and red in colour. The calyx is bell shaped generally with shallow thalamus. The lobes of calyx are 5-7 in numbers, ovoid in shape and conspicuously gland-tipped. The calyx encloses a dense crumpled mass of petals. The corolla is indefinite in number, spirally arranged in the calyx cup. The petals are actually the modified stamens. The petals in the outermost whorl are longer, their size getting towards the periphery. The gynoecium is yellow in colour with three locules, the style is yellowish with pink tinge, where as the epigynous disc is absent.⁶

Microscopic Features

Microscopically, the main diagnostic characteristic of Gulnar powder are the presence of abundant fragments of the corollas, the outer epidermis consisting thin walled, irregularly outlined polygonal cells with striations running through the entire length of cells . The vascular strands from the main vein of the petals consist of annulary thickened vessels. The styles are mainly composed of thin walled cells. On the inner surface of many of these cells crystals of calcium oxylate are found.⁶

Description of Gulnar as reported in Unani Literature

The history Anar (Pomegranate) is mentioned among ancient fruit. The height of Anar tree is 15 feet. The leaves are arrow shape and upto 3 inch long. The colour of flower is light orange and some are deep red which looks very beautiful is called as Gulnar. Najmul Ghani, in his book Khazainul Advia describes that this is a flower of a tree. The tree of Gulnar is similar to pomegranate tree. The Gulnar tree produces no or very few fruits. The taste of fruit is khat-mitha (sweet-sour) taste. The colour of flower is red, white and sometime black. It is of two types, one is cultivated and other is wild. The wild variety is known as Gulnar and is medicinaly more effective then cultivated variety. Especially wild variety is known as Gulnar⁷. Hakim IA Qasmi in his book Kitabul Mufridat describes that the tree is just like pomegranate tree. The shape and size of flower is large. The colour of flower is red and looks beautiful and sometime pink in colour. The taste is afas (astringent) and badmaja (unpleasant). Some people consider that, the pomegranate tree which does not give fruit, flower of that tree is known as Gulnar, are used medicinally.⁸ In book Adviyae Mufrida Hakeem Syed Saifuddin Ali has also describes it as a famous and common flower which is produced on that pomegranate tree which doesn’t produce fruit.⁹ In Moghzanul Mufradath, Hakim Kabiruddin has mentioned that it is a bud of wild variety of pomegranate tree which are used medicinally.¹⁰

Mizaj (Temperament)^6,7.8,9

Cold 1⁰ dry 2⁰, Cold 2⁰ dry 2⁰, Cold 3⁰ dry 3⁰    

ACTION AND USE

Pharmacological action^6,7,8,9

Qabiz (Astringent), Mujafif (Siccative), Habis-e-dam (Haemostyptic), Rade (Derivative), Muqawi sanoon wa lissa (Tonic for tooth and gum), Muqawi aza raisa (Tonic for vital organs), Mudamil (Cicatrizant), Qatil-e-didan am’a (Anthelmintic)

Therapeutic Uses^6,7,8,9

In Unani System of Medicine, Gulnar is used as a medicine in various forms like decoction, powder, syrup, infusion, nasal drop, gargle, pessery etc. for different ailments. These flowers possess different pharmacological activities and hence being used as astringent, haemostatic, antihelminthic, stomachic, desiccant, Cicatizant etc.

Gastro-intestinal tract

Gulnar possess astringent property hence it is used in diarrhoea, dysentery especially in bleeding type and peptic ulcer. It is also used in the treatment of intestinal worm infestation. Unripe flowers are dried and pounded to make a snuff which is considered to be the best astringent; its internal use is very effective for infantile diarrhoea and dysentery.⁵ The flowers are styptic to the gums; check vomiting; useful in biliousness.¹¹

Respiratory System

Flower buds powdered and given in doses of 4 to5 grains are useful in bronchitis.⁵

Urogenital system

Due to its siccative property its passery is used in leucorrhoea, uterine and rectal ulcer and haemorrhages.⁵

Special Indication

Haemostyptic activity

Gulnar also has haemostyptic action. So it is used to control the internal bleeding, epistaxis, bleeding dysentery, haematemesis, bleeding gum and menorrhagia. Decoction of Gulnar is used as gargle in disease of oral cavity and bleeding gum. The Gulnar is used in compound powder, composed of dried Gulnar, Gum acacia, Dragon’s blood (Sanguin dracoins), and Opium. This formulation is useful in haematuria, haemorrhoidal flux, haemoptysis etc.⁵

Wound healing activity

Due to its derivative effect it is used in inflamation and its cicatizent property it is used in the treatment of ulcer for wound healing. Gulnar also possess astringent property due to this property it is used in peptic ulcer.⁵

Murakabat (Compound formulations).^{7,8,9,12, 13}

There are many more compound formulations having Gulnar as an important gradient, being used unanimously by Unani physicians; few of them are mentioned as follows:

Sharbat Habbis, Qurs Kharoba, Majoon Busd, Qurs Gulnar, Qurs Tabasheer, Sharbate Anar, Jawarise Anarain etc.

SCIENTIFIC STUDIES

Biochemical Constituents

Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in establishing the pharmacological mechanisms of pomegranate flower and the individual constituents responsible its action. The Pomegranate flower contains gallic acid, ursolic acid, triterpenoids, including maslinic and asiatic acid.¹¹

Phytochemical Studies⁶

• The flowers of Punica granatum contained a pigment pelagonidin 3, 5-diglucoside.
• The petroleum ether and chloroform extracts of P.granatum flowers have also yielded sitosterol and ursolic acid apart from maslinic acid, asiatic acid and sitosterol-β-D-glucoside as the minor components.
• The alcoholic extract gave D-manitol, allagic acid and gallic acid.
• The fruit rind yield ellagic acid.
• Punica granatum (Lucknow sample) have been reported to contain floouride (0.2-03ppm), calcium (11.3), magnesium (3.6), phosphate (70.9), and vitamin c (3.8) content mg percent
• Examination of P. granatum sample from Delhi, revealed the presence of malvidin pentose glycoside in the seeds, and mixture of pentose glycoside of which the major fraction was malvidin derivative (along with pentunidin as minor components) in the rind.

Pharmacological report

• Jafri et al reported that oral administration of aqueous-ethanolic (50%, v:v) extract of Punica granatum Linn flower has significantly lower the blood glucose level in normal, glucose-fed hyperglycaemic and alloxan-induced diabetic rats¹.
• Manoharan et al claims that oral administration of Punica granatum flower extract (400mg/kg b.w.) to diabetic animals significantly reduced the level of blood glucose and increased the level of plasma insulin as well as revert the disturbed activities of carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes to near normal pattern.¹⁴
• Dhawan et al reported analgesic activity of  hydro alcoholic extract of aerial parts of pomegranate in mice at a dose of 0.125 mg/kg.¹⁵
• In another study it was found that; oral administration of Punica granatum Lin. peel extract in normal and streptozotocin induced diabetic rats shows a significant decrease the post parandial hyperglycemia.¹⁶
• Hung et al reported that the oral administration of Pomegranate flower extract at the dose of 500 mg/kg improves cardic lipid metabolism in diabetic rat mode.¹⁷
• In an another study topical application of pomegranate preparations found effective for controlling oral inflammation, as well as bacterial and fungal counts in periodontal disease and Candida-associated denture stomatitis.¹⁸
• The oral administration of pomegranate flower extract at a dose of 500 mg/kg diminishes cardiac fibrosis in Zucker diabetic fatty rats.¹⁹
• Xu et al found that the oral administration of pomegranate flower extract at the dose of 500 mg/kg to the Zucker diabetic fatty rats for 6 weeks, ameliorates diabetes and obesity-associated fatty liver.²⁰
• Ahangarpour et al claims the antispasmodic effect of aqueous and hydroalcohlic extracts of Punica granatum flower on the uterus of non-pregnant rats. These results support the clinical efficacy and use of Punica granatum flower in the treatment of dysmenorrhoea and other uterine spasmodic disorder.²¹
• Gulnar as an important ingredients of compound formulation namely “Qurs Tabasheer” shows hypoglycaemic effect in streptozotocin induced Diabetes in animal model.¹³

CONCLUSION

As per Unani literature, Gulnar is effective in a wide variety of disease, such as diarrhoea, dysentery, peptic ulcer, worm infestation, epistaxis, bronchitis, wound healing, leucorrhoea, passive haemorrhages, uterine, rectal ulcer and many more but only few studies done on modern parameter to support the above claimed. The Gulnar contains various ingredients like gallic acid, ursolic acid, triterpenoids, maslinic and asiatic acid which may be responsible for its medicinal values but more specific research yet to come to support the claim made by Unani literature.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am greatly thanks to my guides Prof. Abdul Wadud and Dr. Najeeb Jahan whose encouragement, supervision and support from the preliminary to the concluding level ease my work to write this review paper.  I am heartily thankful to Dr Md Tanwir Alam for his suggestion and support in compiling and shaping this paper. The authors are also grateful to librarian and authors/editors/publishers of all those books, article and treaties from where the reference for this article has been taken.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Nil

FUNDING: Nil

References:

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