Therapeutic and Medicinal Uses of Draksha - A Review

Vitis vinifera, known as the grapevine, is native to southern Europe and Western Asia. Vitis viniferais a perennial woody, climbing tree belongs to family Vitaceae. It is commonly known as grape and draksha. The ripe fruit is laxative and purgative, fattening, diuretic, aphrodisiac, appetizer, and the throat, cures thirst, asthma, vata and vatarakta, jaundice, strangury, blood disease. The ashes of stem are good for pains in joints, swelling of the testicle, and piles. The flowers are expectorant and haematinic, and are useful in bronchitis. In Iran, grape leaves are used in a traditional food and for treatment of diarrhea and bleeding1 Grape seed and skin contain several active components including avonoids, polyphenols, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, procyanidines, and the stilbene derivative resveratrol. Grape seed extract in particular has been reported to possess a broad spectrum of pharmacological and therapeutic effects such as antioxidative, anti-inammatory, and antimicrobial activities, as well as having cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective effects. The study of plants that have been traditionally used should still be seen as a fruitful and logical research strategy, in the search. In this review, several therapeutic and medicinal uses of draksha are described.