1.0 Product and its applications

Giloy or Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia Miers.) is a rejuvenating herb for the body. The plant is also known as Gilo, Gulancha, Guduchi (Hindi), Amrita (Sanskrit), Guduchi, Gulancha (Bengali), Gado , Galo (Gujarati), Gulvel (Marathi), Duyutige , Teppatige (Telugu), Amrutha balli (Kannada), Shindila kodi (Tamil) and Heartleaf moonseed (English).

The plant is a powerful rasayana mentioned in Indian Ayurvedic literature. It is considered as a bitter tonic and powerful immuno modulator. Giloy acts as a memory booster, develops intelligence and promotes mental clarity. It is described as one of the Medhya Rasayana (mental rejuvenative) in the Charak Samhita. It has long been used in India as a medicine and in the preparation of a starch known as giloe-ka-sat or as palo which is said to be a tonic, antiperiodic, and a diuretic.

Giloy is used in Ayurvedic as a hepatoprotectant, protecting the liver from damage that may occur following exposure to toxins. Recent studies have shown that a combination with turmeric extract is effective in preventing the hepatotoxicity which is otherwise produced as a side effect of conventional pharmaceutical treatments for tuberculosis using drugs such as isoniazid and rifampicin. Giloy is considered helpful in eye disorders as a tissue builder and promotes mental clarity. The stem of Giloy is used in general debility, dyspepsia and urinary diseases.

It is used in the Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine for the treatment of jaundice, diabetes rheumatoid arthritis and is also used as an immunostimulant. It is an alterative, anthelmintic, anti pyretic, aphrodisiac, bitter tonic, and blood purifier, cardiac, carminative digestive, diuretic and expectorant. The starch from the roots and stem is used in chronic diarrhoea and dysentery. The juice of fresh plant is diuretic and used in gonorrhea.

The root, stem, leaves and sattva of Giloy are used for medicinal purpose. Externally the medicated oil of the plant is effectively used to relieve pain and oedema, in gout and skin disorders. In filariasis, the paste of Giloy, shunthi, devadara and vidanga works when applied externally. Internally, Giloy is an effective rasayana - rejuvenative. It works on all the seven 'dhatus' and keeps the body system in balance. The rasayana property bestows longevity, enhances memory, and improves general health, better complexion, energy and luster of the skin. In vata doshas diseases, it is given with ghrita, pitta doshas diseases, it is given with sugar, kapha doshas diseases, it is given with honey. It is especially helpful in the digestive ailments like hyperacidity, colitis, worm infestations and loss of appetite, abdominal pain, excessive thirst, emesis and liver disorders like hepatitis

Giloy is drug of choice amongst all the remedies in treating gout (vatarakta). The decoction of Giloy and sunthi is a very effective combination for the treatment of gout and rheumatic disorders. The juice of Giloy is helpful for gout if taken for a period of two to three months. Also purified shilajit with juice of Giloy is helpful for gout if taken twice daily.

The active adaptogenic constituents are diterpene compounds including tinosporone, tinosporic acid, cordifolisides A to E, syringen, the yellow alkaloid, berberine, Giloin, crude Giloininand, a glucosidal bitter principle as well as polysaccharides, including arabinogalactan polysaccharide.

Popular giloy products in the market are Giloy sattva, Giloyyadi churna, Giloyadi Kwath, Amritarishta, Amrita guggulu, Guduchyadi taila, Sudarshan churna, Sanjivani vati, Kaishore guggulu, Rasnapanchak kwath. The major ayurvedic preparations using Giloy as one of the constituent are Amrtarista; Amrtottara kvatha churna, Guduci taila; Guduchyadi churna; Guduchyadi-kwatha, Giloy sattva; Chinnodbhavadi kvatha churna.

2.0 Market Potential

The annual consumption of the crude drug mostly by Ayurvedic pharmaceuticals/herbal drug manufactures is estimated to be 1000 t. Demand for Aqueous Giloy extract in the world market is growing due to increasing awareness and supportive research into the use of Giloy extracts as anti-oxidant supplement, also used as supplement for improving memory, intellect, detox, liver support and blood purifier. Importers, buyers within the country, processors, traditional practitioners, Ayurvedic and Siddha drug manufacturers throng the markets for procurement of this plant every year. Its domestic as well as export demands are quite large.

3.0 Basis and Presumption

a) The agricultural land and related infrastructure is available with the entrepreneur.
b) Prices are calculated as per the prevailing market rates.
c) The yields depend on proper implementation of package of practices.
d) Economics of cultivation greatly improves on scale of operation.
e) This activity provides tax-free high returns. Additionally a number of government support schemes are available. Latest provisions need to be checked up.
f) Market for medicinal plants is volatile and economics may vary from time to time.

4.0 Agri practices

It is an herbaceous vine of the family Menispermaceae indigenous to the tropical areas of India, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Giloy is found throughout the tropical regions in India. It is a glabrous, climbing shrub. The leaves are 10-20 cm in diameter, broadly ovate, deeply cordate and shortly acuminate. Externally, they are covered with a thin, papery, brown cork, bearing the raised scars of numerous lenticels. The cork readily exfoliates and discloses a greenish cortex longitudinally wrinkled and marked with lenticels. The fracture is fibrous and the transverse section exhibits a yellowish wood with radially arranged wedge-shaped wood bundles, containing large vessels, separated by narrower medullary rays. The flowers are small and greenish yellow on the old wood in 7.5-15 cm long racemes; slender, usually solitary in the female and clustered in male. Fruits are red in colour and similar to shape of pea. The flowering/fruiting season is March-June/cold season.

4.1 Soil & Climate

It grows well in almost all types of soils under varying climatic conditions up to altitude of 320m.

4.2 Propagation

The plant is cultivated by stem cutting in the month of May-June. It requires some support preferably neem and mango trees. It is quite easy to propagate that even if a twig is placed on a branch of a tree, it establishes itself as a giant climber in a couple of years. Seeds if soaked in cold water for 24 hours germinate fast. The treated seeds are sown in polybags during May-July. Germination takes place in 10-12 days with 80-90 per cent success. In case of fresh seeds without any pre soaking, only 30-35 per cent germination is obtained. The nursery duration for these plants is up to one and half months. Semi hard wood cuttings of pencil thickness with 4-8 nodes are planted in June-July. They are initially planted in polybags with a slant with two nodes inside the soil. In the first year, a support plant for this climber has to be grown. When the plants are about one year old, cuttings have to be planted beside it.

4.3 Fertilizer

The plants should be grown without chemical fertilizers and use of pesticides. Organic manures like Farm Yard Manure (FYM), vermicompost, green manure may be used as per requirement of the species.

4.4 Irrigation

The field after plantation should be irrigated periodically as and when required at weekly or fortnightly intervals.

4.5 Weed control

Periodical hoeing is done, both in the nursery and field as per requirement.

4.6 Harvesting

When the leaves begin to fall in August-September, the stems should be cut 30 cm above the ground and collected. Pale green coloured stems are cut into small pieces.

5.0 Post harvest operations
5.1 Drying

The stems are collected in the hot season dried under shade.

6.0 Yield

The yield of stem is about 0.8-1t per ha. The price prevailing in the market is around Rs.15-20 per kg. Average yield of 2 kg extract is achieved out of 100 kg stem and priced at Rs.100/ kg.

7.0 Economics of cultivation per hectare land

The stems and the extract of Giloy cordifolia yield returns of about Rs. 60,000 per hectare from second year onwards. Return from the support trees and short duration intercrops beginning from the first year gives an average income of Rs. 1 lakh per year.

8.0 Addresses of some dealers in medicinal plants/ planting material

a. Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine,
Canal Road,
Jammu Tawi-180001

b. High Altitude Plant Physiology Research Centre,
HNB Garhwal University,
Shrinagar, Garhwal-246174

c. Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology,
Post Office Box No.6,
Palampur-176 061

d. Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants,
Near Kukrail Picnic Spot,
Lucknow-226015

e. North east Institute of Science & Technology,
Jorhat-785006 (Assam)

f. National Botanical Research Institute,
Rana Pratap Marg,
Lucknow-226001

g. Institute of Minerals & Materials technology,
Bhubaneswar-751013

h. Advanced Materials & Processes Research Institute,
Hoshangabad Road, Near Habibganj Naka,
Bhopal-462064

i. Forest Research Institute (ICFRE)
Dehradun-248006

j. NBPGR,
Pusa Campus,
New Delhi-110012

k. NBPGR, Regional Station,
Bhowali-263132
District Nainital

l. NBPGR, Regional Station,
Phagli,
Shimla-171004

m. Cedmap,
60, Jail Road, Jahangirabad,
Bhopal (M.P.)

n. Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute,
Karimancode, P.O. Palode,
Thiruvananthapuram-695562 (Kerala)

o. KRD Musli Farm,10/47, Station Road, Rau,
Indore-453331 (M.P.)

p. Mittal Musli Farm and Research Centre,
Jamod, Jalgaon (Maharashtra)

q. Jeevan Herbs & Agro Farms
178,Keshav Ganj, Sagar (M.P.)

r. SSS Biotic.com
C/o biosourcing.com (P)Ltd.
A-41, Janpath, Ashoknagar
Bhubaneswar (Orissa)

s. Kasiraj Exports,
37, Santhai Road,
Tuticorin (TN)

t. A.Y. Agritec Private Limited
16-7-382/18, Azampura Masjid,
Hyderabad (A.P.)

u. Raj and Company
Contact: Mr. Vijay Kumar Jain
Behind Katju Market Near Parsi Mandir,
Neemuch 458441
Tel: 07423-221600;
Fax: 07423-225341
E-mail: rajspice@bom4.vsnl.net.in

v. Manvir Pharma Supply
E-2, P&T Colony 6, Patel Colony, Jamnagar
Tel: 0288-2750015;
Fax: 0288-2750015

w. Suman Trading Co.
10-2-32/1, Pamuvari Street Ramaraopet, Kakinada 533004

x. Silpa Agro Farms Private Limited
Flat No. 204, 2nd Floor, Firdous Kaveri Court, T
aranaka Road, Metuguda
Secundrabad 500017
Tel: 27820291/08451-288319
E-mail: silpaagro@onebox.com

y. Atulya Herbs
Rajiv Juyal Road, Majra,
Dehradun 248 171
Tel: +91 135 2620488;
Fax: +91 135 3124102
E-mail: asian@nde.vsnl.net.in; paritoshgulati@yahoo.com; drmadanlal@sancharnet.in Website: http://rajugulati.ebigchina.com

z. VEG Trading Company
106/12, Prakasam Street, Erode 638 001
Tel: +91 424 2223846;
Fax: +91 424 2218041
E-mail: vegnet@tasteefoods.com

Contact for more information:

Information Manager
TIMEIS Project
E-mail: timeis@ficci.com