| Safed Musli Potentiality in India : |
Safed Musli, like most other medicinal plants, is a widely harvested species, which finds itself on the verge of extinction notified by the Government as an endangered species, mainstream cultivation is the only means by which it can be preserved and its medicinal benefits passed on for the posterity.
Safed Musli is a among the 20- odd species of native medicinal plants that enjoy extensive therapeutic application and expansive global market. Known by different names across the country, it has been one of the chief ingredients in Ayurveda and other local folklore medicines for ages. Indeed one comes across vivid accounts of the versatile therapeutic value of Safe Musli in the Indian mythology and medicinal treatises. The plant with a hoary past is now poised to spread it goodness far and wide. As a medicinal plant, it is poised to open up new executing avenues in healthcare. As a commercial crop, it is positioned to provide unbeatable returns.
Origin : Safed Musli has its origin in the Southern part of India subcontinent. |
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| Botanical Nomeclature : |
Class : Monocotyledons
Series : Coronarieae
Family : Liliaceae
Genus : Chlorophytum
Species: Borivilianum |
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| Habit and Habitat : |
| Safed Musli is a tiny annual herb that grows very well in tropical and sub-tropical with altitudes upto 1500 meters. In and around Hyderabad the climate and monsoons are very much suitable. Especially red soils are recommended for Safed Musli, since red soils does not have water-logging problems. |
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| Nature and Description : |
| Safed Musli is a herb with sub-erect lanceolate leaves and tuberous root system. It can grow up to a maximum height of 1.5 ft. Tubers can grow upto a depth of 10”. |
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| Constituents : |
Carbohydrates : 42%
Proteins : 8.9%
Fibre : 34%
Saponins : 2-17%
Alkaloids : 25%
The saponins and alkaloids present in the plant are the primary source of its key medicinal properties. |
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| Global Market : |
| a) Demand : |
Globally, there is an increasing demand for aphrodisiac medicines. Being a herb with no side effects and dependency problem, Safed Musli has immense potential to become a key curative for Erectile and Organic dysfunction’s.
At present, according to an estimate, while the demand for dry Musli is of the order of 35,000 tonnes per annum, the supply stands at 5,000 tonnes per year. Of the available quantum of Safed Musli, over 95% of it comes through wild harvesting, an act expressly prohibited by the various state Governments. The huge demand-supply through organized and scientific cultivation methods. |
| b) National Demand : |
| In Ayurvedic literature, Safed Musli is renowned as divya Aushad with enormous importance in the preparation of over one hundred different medicines. There is no gainsaying the fact that Safed Musli is an inevitable ingredient in any immunity-strengthening drugs. By virtue of being the home of Ayurveda, India has naturally been a huge market for Safed Musli. Also in Western India, especially in Gujarat, people are given to the habit of taking a spoon of Safed Musli along with milk twice a day as a part of routine health-care. There are also instances of Safed Musli being used in various ways in varied parts of the country. That underlines the reason for a great deal of demand for Safed Musli in India. |
| c) International Demand : |
| Many countries ink the Gulf, Europe including USA have been major importers of the dry roots of Safed Musli for a very long time, for its use in the making of various herbal products. And, thanks to the increasing awareness and appreciation of the goodness of herbal products, the demand for Safed Musli has been phenomenally growing across the globe. |
| d) New Application : |
| Of late, Pfizer’s Viagra has been a sensation all over the world for its aphrodisiac qualities. It has proved to highly useful for people suffering from Erectile Dysfunction. But, as the drug has a chemical base, it has many potential side effects. It is reported to have serious effects on nerves and grave repercussions for cardiac patients. On the countrary, Safed Musli is a safe and effective drug, with similar benefits and without any side effects. Alive to it, the Gujarat State Forest Development Corporation launched a potency drug by name “NAI CHETNA” that has been enjoying widespread and increasing acceptance as an alternative to Vaigra. |
