Thuthuvalai | Thoothuvalai Benefits and Medicinal Uses

Thuthuvalai Medicinal Uses and Health Benefits:

The need for the man for his luxurious life made him backed up with an elevated number of diseases. Nature has plenty of its resources for the wellness of human being. we will not suffer if we don’t disturb the natural food web. Nature still helps us if we impart them the place to survive!.
“Only a mother will give her best to her child despite her suffering.” Adding to the list of nature’s gift, medicinal plants is of prior concern. Thuthuvalai is a remarkable herb that helps the human, animal as well the environment. The botanical name of Thuthuvalai plant is Solanum Trilobatum. It is a thorny creeper found in the moist places predominantly in south America, brazil, Sri Lanka,south India. It has bluish white flower. It grows as a climbing under shrub.





Thuthuvalai is also called as Thoothuvalai Keerai in Tamil Nadu. It is called as Climbing Brinjal in English.

Thuthuvalai belongs to Solanaceae family. It has alkaloids, steroids, saponins, flavonoids making it a preferable plant for treatment. The leaves contain rich amount of calcium, iron, phosphorus, carbohydrates, fat, crude fiber,and minerals. It is also called as purple fruited pea egg plant and Nightshade.


Names of Thuthuvalai or Thoothuvalai in Different Indian Languages:


English - Climbing Brinjal
Tamil - Thoothuvalai, Thuthuvalai, Tuduvalai, Nittidam, Sandunayattan and Surai.
Hindi - Kantakaari-Latta
Malayalam - Tutavalam, Putricunta, Puttacunta, Tudavalam and Putharichunda.
Telugu - Alarkapatramu, Mullamustil and Kondavuchinta
Sanskrit -  Kantakaari-Latta, Agnidamani, Agnidamini, Alarka, Vallikantakarika and Achuda
Kannada - Ambusonde, Ambusondeballi, Chitbadane, Hebbu Sonde Gida, Hebbu Sunde Gida, Mullu Kaaka Munchi, Mullu Mushta and Kakamunji.
Marathi -  Mothiringnee and Thoodalam
Oriya - Bryhoti

References - Thuthuvalai Wiki, http://www.informaticsjournals.org/index.php/jnr/article/viewFile/100/99

How to eat Thuthuvalai?

Make sure that you remove the thorns before using it for cooking as they are considered to be mildly toxic.

Thuthuvalai Kashayam | Thoothuvalai Kashayam:

Thuthuvalai Kashayam can be prepared by boiling Thuthuvalai leaves with water till the water quantity is reduced to half. You can add Tulsi leaves, crushed coriander seeds, dry ginger and cumin seeds also.

Add salt or jaggery to make it palatable. Strain the water and Thuthuvalai Kashayam is ready.

For kids, 1 teaspoon of this homemade thuthuvalai kashayam can be given. Adults can take 1/4 cup. Please do not give it to babies under 2 without medical supervision.

If you cannot get Thoothuvalai leaves, you can use thuthuvalai powder.

Thuthuvalai Recipes:

Thuthuvalai Rasam Recipe:

Take 10-20 Thuthuvalai keerai leaves according to your preference. Remove the thorns if any. Clean them. Add this to the boiling rasam. Follow your regular recipe to make a tasty Thuthuvalai Rasam.


Thuthuvalai Thuvaiyal | Thoothuvalai Thogaiyal Recipe:

Thuthuvalai keerai leaves can be added in your regular coconut chutney. Thorns should be removed and leaves to be cleaned before grinding along with coconut.

Thuthuvalai Powder or Thoothuvalai Powder:

Thuthuvalai is also available in powder form. When you cannot get fresh Thuthuvalai leaves, Thoothuvalai powder can be used.

Thuthuvalai | Thoothuvalai Benefits and Medicinal Uses:

Thoothuvalai plant is known to cure various diseases like lung cancer,diabetes,diarrhea, cholera,asthma, tuberculosis,malaria, bronchitis,cold and cough as it has anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antioxidant, anti-tumor properties.

Anti-inflammatory activity:


Inflammation which is conventionally out of control in large infections is also the basis for auxiliary infection. Repressing the inflammation is generally tedious process and accomplishing it cent percent is difficult. Soladosine extracted from roots of Thoothuvalai plant exhibits the anti-inflammatory characteristics. It up raises the inflammatory response by protein kinase C activation.


Anti-oxidant activity:

This characteristic is vital as most of the vigorous diseases induces oxidative stress resulting in cell death (as oxygen is trapped from the cell), finally in death. The reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species when to present beneath the level cause damage to nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins. When these damaged structure gets oxidized it provokes cancer, diabetes.Thuthuvalai plant acts as a scavenger in shielding the reactive species( superoxide and hydroxyl radicals) thwarting cell death. It also impedes cell lipid peroxidation.


Anti-microbial activity:


There is an increased number of diseases caused by the numerous pathogens of which gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal infection is of utmost concern. The aqueous and methanol extract of the plant shows endurance against Aeromonas hydrophilia, an important agent instigating diarrhea. They inhibit the microbial growth at low concentrations.

The use of Silver nanoparticles is emerging because of their anti-microbial activity. They are found to be effective against Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella planticola, Bacillussp., Pseudomonas sp. , S. aureus, Vibrio cholerae, Proteus vulgaris and P. aeruginosa , Shigella dysenteriaetype I, Staphylococcus aureus, Citrobacter sp., Escherichia coli,Candida albicans, and Fusarium oxysporum species. silver nanoparticles synthesized from Solanum Trilobatum highly inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Highest inhibition was noted against E.coli, Streptococcus sp., and K. pneumonia.

Thuthuvalai for cancer:


Impeding cancer by drugs is of greatest concern as of now. Sobatum is partially purified component of the plant Sobatum extracted from the plant 'Solanum Trilobatum'.  Sobatum possess anticancerous property. Studies showed that it reduces tumor volume because of the cytotoxic potential. It is found efficient in lung carcinogenesis.

In a study, it has been concluded that the Sobatum has the ability to retard the development of solid tumours and DMBA-induced carcinogenesis.

Thuthuvalai for Diabetes:


Diabetes mellitus is the chronic disease affecting most of the population in the world anticipated to affect 15.2 million people of India by 2025. It results due to the deficiency of Insulin secretion from Islets of Langerhans of Pancreas triggering increased/decreased blood glucose levels. It also provokes the enhanced formation of reactive oxygen species in the endothelial cells which eventually results in cell or tissue damage. The anti-oxidant property of the plant makes it superior for diabetic treatment. The ethanolic extract of the plant, when consumed for 100-200g/kg body weight, declines the blood glucose levels, cholesterol level and safeguards lipid peroxidation and cell damages thereby monitoring weight loss.

Thoothuvalai as a Mosquito-repellent:


Malaria is a deadly disease caused by Female Anopheles mosquito dispatching three million people per year. The leaf extract of the plant is an effective skin repellent and restraining oviposition of Female anopheles mosquito. The defense activity depends on the dose of extract.0.02 and 0.015% extract guarded for 100 minutes. It is preferable as it don’t aggravate any side effects in skin.

Thuthuvalai for Asthma:


It is a chronic illness destructing the airways. The juice of the plant (Thuthuvalai Kashayam), fruits with honey are the commonly utilized to cure asthma. The anti-inflammatory property of the plant cures the infection. The anti-microbial activity restricts from getting further infected.

Thuthuvalai for cold, cough and Throat Infection:

Thuthuvalai leaves are used for treating cold and cough. Thuthuvalai Kashayam is very effective for cold and cough.

Thuthuvalai leaf juice is the primary ingredient in treating cold and cough.


Thuthuvalai or Thoothuvalai uses for Animals:


Thuthuvalai leaf extract is found to increase the immune potential resistance of Oreochromis Mossambicus. The water and hexane fractions of the plant are found to up raise the lysosome activity. The fish species exhibited declined mortality rate against Aeromonas hydrophilia. Sobatum in the Thoothuvalai plant also uplifts the reactive oxygen species protecting the fish life.


Thuthuvalai or Thoothuvalai Benefits for Environment:


Its proficiency is found by using the leaf extract as an anti-corrosive agent against stainless steel. It is found to be effective even in the saline water. There is a higher inhibition potential when the concentration is more. In this pollution conscious environment there is a wide acceptance of this plant in the natural sea as it is bio-degradable, eco-friendly, low cost furthermore it is easily available.
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1 comment:

  1. Very interesting and informative too.A useful health care and cure tips.The only thing is to identify the Keerai and use it without making wrong identification. Thanks

    ReplyDelete