Gokhru

GOKHRU

Synonym

Caltrops fruit.

Biological Source

In Ayurveda two types of Gokhru are used, that is, Bada and Chota Gokhru. The smaller or Chhota Gokhru is the dried ripe seeds of Tribulus terrestris Linn., belonging to family Zygophyllaceae.

Geographical Source

The plant is an annual, prostrate herb growing throughout India upto 3,500 m in Kashmir.

Characteristics

The fruits are yellowish in colour, globose, 1.2 cm in diameter containing five woody, densely hairy, spiny cocci. Large pointed spines are present in each coccus. Two smaller and shorter spines are directed downwards. Several seeds are present in each coccus.

                       Tribulus terrestris

Microscopy

Fruit section shows small rectangular epidermal cells of each coccus. Unicellular trichomes are found on the surface; 6–10 layers of large parenchymatous cells forms mesocarp, next to mesocarp three to four compact layers of small cells are present which contains rosette of calcium oxalate crystals.

Chemical Constituents

The dried fruits of T. terstris consist of steroidal saponins as the major constituents. It includes terestrosins A, B, C, D and E, desgalactotigonin, F-gitonin, desglucolanatigonin and gitonin. The hydrolysed extract consists of sapogenins such as diosgenin, chlorogenin, hecogenin and neotigogenin. Certain other steroidal such as terestroside F, tribulosin, trillin, gracillin, dioscin have also been isolated from the aerial parts of the herb. The flavonoid derivatives reported from the fruits includes tribuloside and number of other glycosides of quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin. It also consists of common phytosterols, such as, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol and cinnamic amide derivative, terestiamide.

Uses

The fruit has cooling, antiinflammatory, antiarthritic, diuretic, tonic, aphrodisiac properties. It is used in building immune system, in painful micturition, calculus affections and impotency. Improves and prolongs the duration of erection. It exerts a stimulating effect on reproductary organs.

Marketed Products

It is one of the ingredients of the preparations known as Bonnisan, Confido, Himplasia, Renalka (Himalaya), Dhatu-poushtik churna (Baidyanath), Semento (Aimil) and Body plus capsule (Jay Pranav Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals).