Sanskrit name: वत्सनाभ (Vatsanabha)

Botanical name: Aconitum ferox Wall.  ex Syringe

Family: Rananculaceae

English name: Indian aconite or Queen of poisons

Malayalam name: വത്സനാഭി

Distribution: Northern Himalayas of Nepal and Kashmir.

Part used: Root tubers

Toxic by nature, purified and used in Ayurveda medicines.

Chief Chemical constituent: Aconitine

Purification: Aconitum ferox roots are made into pieces, tied in a piece of cloth, suspended in goat milk or cow milk, and heated for three hours.

Properties: Nervine tonic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antitoxic, stomachic, appetiser, carminative, digestive, stimulant, cardiotonic, emmenagogue, anaphrodisiac, sedative.

Useful in: Poisonous bites, rejuvenative, painful inflammations, hard tumours, cough, asthma, bronchitis, splenic disorders, headache and viral fevers.

Research Updates:

1. Deore, S L et al. “Evaluation of toxicity of ‘Vatsanabha’ (Aconitum ferox, Ranunculaceae) Before and After Shodhana.” Journal of young pharmacists : JYPvol. 5,1 (2013): 3-6. doi:10.1016/j.jyp.2013.01.001
2. Sahoo, Santilata & Trupti, Rekha & Swain, Trupti & Dash, Nc. (2013). Study on the Pharmacological Profile of Purified Aconitum Ferox Extracts in Frog. 4.
3. Chatuphale, Gajanan Diliprao, et al. “A Comparative HPLC Quantification of Vatsanabha (Aconitum Ferox Wall Ex Seringe.) Root Processed in Cow’s Urine and Cow’s Milk”. International Journal of Ayurvedic Medicine, vol. 12, no. 1, Mar. 2021, pp. 124-8, doi:10.47552/ijam.v12i1.1740.
4. Nyirimigabo, Eric et al. “A review on phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology studies of Aconitum.” The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacologyvol. 67,1 (2015): 1-19. doi:10.1111/jphp.12310