Gunja (Abrus precatorius)

GUNJA

 Latin Name- Abrus precatorius 

 Family- Fabaceae

 Synonyms- Raktika, Chudamani, Kaakdantika, Sikhandika, Tamra, Sughata etc.

 Introduction- It is commonly known as Crab's eye.It is a perennial climber bearing pink to white  flowers. It is a legume bearing pinnate leafleted leaves. The most useful part of  this plant is its  seeds. The seeds are said to be toxic due to presence of highly toxic toxalbumin i.e Abrin

 Purification of seeds- Seeds are purified by boiling in milk for 3 hours.

 Types- It is of 2 types: Sweta (White) & Rakta (Red)

 Part Used- Seed and Root

 Uses- 1. Oil prepared from Abrus precatorius is applied over scalp to get rid of                                              dandruff.

           2. Root chewed to get rid of dental pain.

  Important Formulations- Gunjadi tail, Gunjabhadra ras