TRIBULOUS TERRESTRIS--FOR TESTOSTERONE--A MALE HORMONE

Botanical name-Tribulous terrestris  Linn

Family—Zygophyllaceae

Common names

Bengali—Gokhru

English--Calthrops

French—Croix de chevalier

Hindi—Gokhru, Gokshri

Malayalam—Neringil

Sanskrit—Bahukantaka, Gokhura, Ikshugandha

Tamil—Nerunji, Sirunerinji

Telugu—Chirupalleru, Palleru.

Occurrence and Distribution—It is found in dry soils of waste places , road sides, and deserts. Tribulus is distributed throughout the warmer regions of India including West Rajasthan and Gujarat. Also found other warm regions of the world.

Description-  A small hirsute , or silky, prostrate, annual herb. Stem recumbent , pubescent, branching to 1yd  length . The root when fresh is slender , fibrous, cylindrical and of a light brown color. Leaves stipulate, opposite, usually unequal, abruptly pinnate. Leaflets 4-7 pairs, 6-12 mm long, oblong mucronate with appressed hairs beneath and more or less so on the upper surface, base rounded, oblique, entire, almost sessile or with very short petioles. Petiole very short, pilose. Flowers solitary , axillary or leaf-opposed, yellow or white, 0.8 to 1.5 cm in diameter. ; pedicels slender and hairy . Sepals 5, free , 6mm long, lanceolate, acute and hairy. Petals 5, free, golden –yellow, 10 mm long, obovate, rounded at the apex. Stamens 10 , inserted at the base of an annular looked disc, filaments free. Ovary sessile, hairy, 5-celled, style short, stigma five lobed. Fruit globose, 5 angled, spinous, tuberculate, schizocarp, consisting of usually 5 hairy or nearly glabrous , often muriculate, woody cocci, 2 long and 2 short spines on each cocci. Seeds several on each coccus with transverse partition between them . Seeds are oily and  enclosed in hard stony cells. Taste astringent and it is agreeable

Flowers and fruits appear during April –August.

Part used---Whole plant

Chemical constituents-- - Tribulus consists of mainly glycosides and saponins.  Chlorogenin, diosgenin, and its acetate, gitogenin, astragalin, dioscin, gracillin, harman, hecogenin, ruscogenin, trillin, furostanol glycoside, spirosternol saponin, and a dihydroxy spirosteroidal sapogenin, terrestrodsise F along with saponins Cand G, kaempferol, glucose, rhamnose, rutin, harmine. Neogitogenin , quercetin and reducing sugars; campesterol, beta sitosterol  stigmasterol, and neotigogenin.

HOMOEOPATHIC USES--—Tribulous  balance  the level of testosterone hormone which gives men mastery in sexual performance , and is vital for libido, muscle growth and generating male energy confidence and stamina. It can increase the amount of Luteinizing hormone, produced by the pituitary gland. LH  stimulates the testes to secrete more testosterone, the male hormone.

The diuretic property of the drug is well marked. It is useful in urinary affections , especially dysuria and in debilitated states of the sexual organs, as expressed in seminal weakness , ready emissions, and improverished semen, prostatitis , calculous affections and sexual neurasthenia. Partial impotence due to overindulgence of advancing age or when accompanied by urinary symptoms, incontinence, painful micturition etc.  It is a good remedy for dysuria, impotency, masturbation, prostatitis, sexual weakness and spermatorrhea. 

Prescribed dose—10 to 20 drops of the tincture three times daily.

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