Giloy (Tinospora Cordfolic)

arge, glabrous, deciduous, climbing shrubs. Leaves broadly ovate, cordate, and long petiolate. Flowers small, yellow or greenish-yellow, appearing when the plant is leafless, in axillary and terminal racemes or racemose panicles; male flowers clustered females usually solitary. Parts used: root, stem, leaf. Major constituents: the dry stem with bark constitutes the drug, which have different reported constituents, such as bitter glycoside gillian a non glycoside giloinin. Three bitter compounds namely tinosporon acid and tinosporol have been reported. Uses: it is an important constituent of several preparations, used in general debility, dyspepsia fever as aphrodisiac in urinary disorders. It is also reported to provide relief in diabetes, piles and dysentery. A part from stem, the decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of gout. The root is also powerful emetic and also used for visceral obstruction