Identity of ？a？kārī (Physalis Minima Linn.) in Ayurvedic Classics: A Literature Review

Proper identification of drugs and their use in proper doses are important for successful treatment. Physalis minima Linn commonly known as country gooseberry has anti-cancerous, anti-diabetic, analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory potentials. The present paper is aimed to ascertain the proper identity of ？a？kārī (Physalis minima Linn.) in Ayurvedic classics by a meticulous search and hence a review of the drug ？a？kārī (Physalis minima Linn) was carried out in the texts of Ayurveda, modern literature, journals and online publications. The result of the search showed that the name “？a？kārī” is not found in Vedic lore. In Sa？hitās, it is mentioned in Bhāvaprakā？a. Reference of the drug “？ār？ge？？hā” is found in B？hattrayī, Bhela, Kā？yapa, Cakradatta and Va？gasena. It is variously named as Cirapo？ikā, Kākatikta, and Vāyasī by ？alha？a and he describes it as gaura (pale), vartula (round), and as having avagu？？hita/ve？？hita (covered) fruit which matches the description of ？a？kārī (P. minima Linn). A search for terms Kākatikta and Vāyasī showed Kākatikta to be synonymous to ？ār？ge？？hā and Vāyasī to be synonymous to both Kākatikta and Kākamācī (Solanum nigrum). Madanapāla and ？āligrāma Nigha？？us have mentioned the name Cirapo？ikā to be synonymous with ？a？kārī. ？odhala has used the term Parpo？ī as a synonym of ？a？kārī, which is the Gujarati name of P. minima Linn. Recent authors have considered ？ār？ge？？hā as either P. minima or Cardiospermum helicabum. The regional names of P. minima are Cirpo？i (Hindi), Cirboli (Marathi), also the folklore uses and pharmacological activities of P. minima are in accordance with the indications of ？ār？ge？？hā in classics. Thus with a complete review of both Ayurveda and modern literatures, it can be concluded that the drug mentioned as ？a？kārī in Bhāvaprakā？a is the same as ？ār？ge？？hā mentioned in the classics. Cirapo？ikā and Kākatikta are its synonyms. Cardiospermum helicabum is Kar？aspo？ha, and hence ？ār？ge？？hā of classics is P. minima which is supported by the regional names, pharmacological activity and folklore claims