Japa - Sembaruthi

Common Name: Hibiscus Rosa-sinensis 
Sanskrit: Japa
Latin: rosa-sinensis literally means "rose of China"
Marathi: Jaswand 
Bengali: Jaba 
Tamil: Sembaruthi 
Hindi: Gudhal, Gurhal, Japa
Malayalam: Chemparathi 
Oriya: Mondaro 
Sinhala: Wada Mal
Telugu: Mamdaram 

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are often noted for their showy flowers and are commonly known simply as hibiscus, or less widely known as rose mallow. The genus includes both annual and perennial herbaceous plants, as well as woody shrubs and small trees. 

The plant has been used in Ayurveda as a remedy for many ailments and diseases such as fevers, menorrhagia, gonorrhoea, blood vomiting, stomachic troubles, irritable geneto-urinary tract conditions, swellings, boils, ulcers and for hair strengthening as well.

The plant today is mainly used as an ornamental one. It can be found in most tropics and subtropics. Gudhal or Hibiscus belongs to the family of Malvaceae. The plant grows to a maximum height of about 2 meters. It is a bushy plant with medium sized leaves- about the size of an average person’s palm. The leaves have serrated tooth-like structure which is entirely harmless. The flowers of the plant are generally red in colour but occasionally, they can be white, yellow and pink as well. The flowers come with five petals and unlike their appearance, the flowers lack scent.

Chemical Constituents:
The bio-chemicals found in Gudhal or Hibiscus plant include β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, taraxeryl acetate and three cyclopropane compounds and their derivatives. Flowers contain cyanidin diglucoside, flavonoids and vitamins, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and ascorbic acid (Ghani, 2003). Quercetin-3-diglucoside, 3,7-diglucoside, cyanidin- 3,5-diglucoside and cyanidin-3-sophoroside-5- glucoside have been isolated from deep yellow flowers.

Health Benefits:
Control of diabetes: Diabetes control is perhaps one of the very important health benefits that many people seek. Now, diabetes can be controlled with the use of Gudhal or Hibiscus. The leaf extracts of the plant have been tested to significantly control blood glucose levels.

Lowers hypertension or blood pressure: Blood pressure can be regarded as a cousin to diabetes and it is also equally responsible for a large number of deaths. Control of hypertension is just as important as the control of diabetes. Gudhal leaf extracts have also been tested to be effective against hypertension, as some studies have revealed.

Anti-fertility properties: One of the traditional uses of Gudhal plant has been its use as an anti-fertility agent or contraceptive. Studies have shown that the plant extracts given to lab animals inhibited the fertility and prevented conception. This property can be exploited for the current times as an easy contraceptive, unlike synthetic contraceptive pills which bring in many side effects than stopping pregnancy.

Abortifacient properties: The plant not only possesses anti-fertility properties, but it has also been traditionally used as an abortifacient. Tests on the plant extracts have resulted in eliminating pregnancies in the very early stages.

Stops diarrhoea: The leaves of the plant have been in use in Ayurveda for a long time as a cure for diarrhoea. A paste of the leaves can be taken to completely cure diarrhoea. The presence of spasmogenic and spasmolytic bio-chemicals has been listed as one of the reasons for its use in controlling diarrhoea.

Analgesic or pain-killing properties: The leaf extracts have also showed analgesic properties. Tests on animals with induced pain showed a significant control of pain after administering with the leaf extracts.

Anti-microbial properties: The extracts of Gudhal have shown significant anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. This is perhaps one of the reasons for the plant being used traditionally in Ayurveda for skin diseases, burns and boils to inhibit infections.

For good hair: The use of Gudhal leaves is another traditional therapy for good hair. The leaves are crushed and applied along with soap nut on the scalp for healthy, good looking hair and perhaps to stop hair loss, if used on a regular basis.

How to Use :
Flowers of this plant fried in ghee are give in menorrhagia ; dark-red petals are administered in the form of a mucilaginpus infusion in ardor-urinae, strangury, cystitis and other irritable conditions of the genito-urinary tract ; it is also a refrigerant drink in fevers and a demulcent in cough.. Combined with milk, sugar and cumin the petals or the fresh root juice of the white flowered variety is given in gonorrhoea. Root is valuable in cough. Flowers pounded into a pulp and mixed with water are given with much benefit in gonorrhoea. Expressed juice of the leaves is also given. An oil made by mixing the juice of the fresh petals and olive oil in equal proportions and boiling till the water has evaporated is equal proportions and boiling still the water has evaporated is useful as a stimulating application for increasing the growth and colour of the hair. In china a black dye is prepared from the petals, for the hair and the eye-brows. In fevers, an infusion of the flowers help to reduce body heat.


Medicinal uses and home remedies with Hibiscus

- The leaves when ground to a paste with fenugreek seeds and water, can be used as a shampoo and conditioner for hair.
- 8 to 10 hibiscus flowers soaked in 1 ½ litres of water overnight and consumed three to four times a day for 2 to 3 days (about 2 tbsp at a time) is good for urinary diseases.
- It cools the body and is said to be good for psychiatric ailments.
- Hibiscus is a very effective home remedy for hair loss. To prevent hair loss, the juice of the flowers is mixed with coconut oil and heated till the water evaporates. You can store the oil and apply it on the hair for ½ an hour before a bath.
- A decoction of the hibiscus flower, milk, jaggery and carom seeds is good for leucorrhea.
- About 5 hibiscus flowers ground to a paste, and consumed with water every morning on an empty stomach, for a week before the expected date of periods helps to regularise periods.

Dosage :
1/2 teaspoon before breakfast mixed with some honey or with hot milk.

Note: Siddha treatment is based on complete physical examination of the patient, Naadi diagnosis, and other diagnostic criteria of the disease. The content given in this article is purely meant for information and education purpose only. Kindly consult a Siddha physician before any sort of self medication.