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International Journal of Green Pharmacy • Oct-Dec 2016 (Suppl) • 10 (4) | S254
Putranjiva roxburghii Wall: The
controversies and the concurrences
Janmejaya Samal1, Ranjit Kumar Dehury2
1Independent Public Health Consultant, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, 2Department of Healthcare Management,
Goa Institute of Management, Panaji, Goa, India
Abstract
Putranjiva roxburghii Wall, otherwise known as Drypetes roxburghii (Wall), belongs to the Euphorbiaceae
family. The plant is widely grown in Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Indochina, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.
In traditional medicine and Ayurveda, its leaves and fruits are being used for the treatment of fever, muscle
twisting, arthralgia, and rheumatism. Its usage in other clinical conditions such as azoospermia, catarrh, and
constipation have also been documented. Recently, the plant came into limelight after the opposition leaders in
Indian parliament claimed that an Ayurvedic medicine named Putrajeevak Beej is being marketed promising a
male child. The main component of Putrajeevak Beej is P. roxburghii Wall. The controversy reached to heights
when gender equality was attached with it. Latter, the manufacturer, came forward and clarified that the drug is
meant for the treatment of infertility and has nothing to do with sex selection.
Key words: Ayurveda, child life tree, female feticide, gender equality, infertility treatment, Putrajeevak Beej
Address for correspondence:
Dr. Janmejaya Samal, C/O Mr. Bijaya Ketan Samal,
At-Pansapalli, Po-Bangarada, Via-Gangapur,
Ganjam - 761 123, Odisha, India.
E-mail: janmejaya_samal@yahoo.com
Received: 04-04-2016
Revised: 19-05-2016
Accepted: 26-05-2016
INTRODUCTION
Putranjiva roxburghii Wall is a medicinal
plant found throughout India. It belongs
to Euphorbiaceae family and is an
ornamental tree of tropical India known as
child life tree. This plant has been in use for the
treatment of several health problems.[1] The drug
was under controversy, for some time in India,
as a part of an Ayurvedic preparation named
Putrajeevak Beej manufactured by the Patanjali
Ayurveda Kendra, part of a trust established
by Yoga guru Baba Ramdev.[2] Following two
pictures give a description about the plant;
Figure 1, P. roxburghii Wall with fruits and
Figure 2, P. roxburghii Wall with flowers.
THE CONTROVERSY
A recent controversy on a medicinal plant named
P. roxburghii was a topic of discussion in most
of the news dailies in India throughout the
year 2015. The news started flashing in every
newspaper after the opposition leaders in Indian
parliament claimed that an Ayurvedic medicine
named Putrajeevak Beej is being marketed
promising a male child. It was primarily due to the
literal meaning of this drug; “the seed that gives
life to a son.” This drug is being manufactured
by the Patanjali Ayurveda Kendra, part of a
trust established by Yoga guru Baba Ramdev. The opposition
leaders termed it as illegal and unconstitutional and demanded
stringent action against the manufacturer.[2] This is obviously a
problem of local nomenclature and the meaning derived out of
it. There are many controversies surrounding the homo names
and synonyms. This happens in general society and also within
scientific community. However, the real essence could only be
arrived at after thorough inquiry and testing the scientificity.
Sometimes, this also happens with the medical prescriptions
due to the illegible writing practices of doctors. The chemist
may take it differently and advice a wrong medicine. These are
some of the critical situations arise due to a misunderstanding
of situations and meaning of the destined actions.
THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE
CONTROVERSY
In India, the declining sex ratio is a matter of great concern.
India is already facing several repercussions to the declining
sex ratio. In a normal scenario, elsewhere in the world, the
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Samal and Dehury: P. roxburghii Wall: The controversies and the concurrences
International Journal of Green Pharmacy • Oct-Dec 2016 (Suppl) • 10 (4) | S255
population of female is normal or little higher than that of the
male population however the situation in India is opposite.
It was in China where the proportion of girls to the boys is
less; however, the 2001 census revealed dismal results where
the proportion of girls aged 0-6 years dropped from 945:1000
to 927:1000 since the previous census done 10 years earlier.
This indicates 35 million fewer females registered to males
during the decade. The more disturbing fact from this
census is that the phenomenon has reached high proportion
in states where similar problem was not observed during
earlier censuses. Reports reveal that the child sex ratio (boys
per girls) is within the normal natural range (105-107) in
all eastern and southern states of India; however the same
is significantly higher in certain western and especially
northwestern states such as Panjab (118), Haryana (120), and
Jammu and Kashmir (116) as of 2011 census.[3]
With such a poor situation in relation to sex ratio in India,
if a drug promises a male child that would definitely lead to
a controversy. The issue became a gender-related issue and
got more attention owing to the current central Government’s
initiative to save girl child. Recently, the Ministry of women
and child development introduced a scheme, Beti Bachao,
Beti Padhao Yojana (Save girl child, educate girl child
scheme) in January 22, 2015. The main objective of this
scheme is to prevent gender biased sex selective elimination,
ensure survival, and protection of girl child and ensuring
education and participation of the girl child.[4]
The feminist movements have also justified arguments for the
bias against girl child. In India, especially the northern states
have a much-skewed sex ratio which warrants immediate
action. The social imbalance due to skewed sex ratio is
palpable with respect to social pathology – lack of bride,
violence against women, and family problems. This shows
the aggressiveness for bringing a balanced life with gender
equity. The government and the non-governmental agencies
are working relentlessly in India for the gender equity. At this
juncture, anything against the female gender is not tolerable
in the society. It will warrant strict action without verifying
the scientificity or rectification of minor understandings of
the issue. Many a time, the matters pertinent to gender are also
wrongly represented by various media and pressure groups.
There are also certain groups those take undue advantages
from the trifling issues in India given the fact that the Indian
society is very sensitive to the issues linked with its culture,
religion, and belief system.
The gender imbalance in Indian society has shown its ugly
face for the past two decades with crises. Hypothetically,
many bachelors do not have brides due to indiscriminate
female feticides by the popular use of sex determining
ultrasonography machines after the 1980s. In a patriarchal
society, it is very difficult to establish gender sensitivity
without doing a root cause analysis of any intervention. The
sex-selective abortion is very deeply entrenched in India
society with multiple social pathology. There is a concern
and intent for the elimination of such problem in the part of
the Indian government. However, all the stakeholders are
not taken into confidence to find out solutions. The laws to
protect the rights of women are not practiced in good letter
and spirit. This warrants a multipronged approach for solving
the problem than mere superficial interventions.
THE CONCURRENCES
After such controversies, the manufacturer came forward and
clarified about the drug. The manufacturer reported that the
drug is prepared as per the classical delineations of Ayurveda.
It is named after the principal constituent of the preparation;
P. roxburghii. It is called “Putrajivak” in several Indian
languages; Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Telugu, and
Bengali. The manufacturers have also clarified that the drug
is meant for the treatment of infertility and has nothing to do
with sex determination.[2] This fact is confirmed from other
sources as well as the drug is being traditionally used for
azoospermia, catarrh, and constipation.[5]
Figure 1: Putranjiva roxburghii Wall with fruits
Figure 2: Putranjiva roxburghii Wall with flowers
Samal and Dehury: P. roxburghii Wall: The controversies and the concurrences
International Journal of Green Pharmacy • Oct-Dec 2016 (Suppl) • 10 (4) | S256
The repercussion is huge when there is controversy relating
to any drug. Here, the controversy is related to social ethos
and values. This creates repeal in the fragile society like
India where multi-religious people live and have different
perceptions about the girl child. Some of the extreme groups
take it as an issue to show their dissent. Some groups also
take undue advantages on this particular issue by protesting
beyond the requirements for political gain.
If at all there is some serious issue with a particular brand
or a drug, a competent authority is there to investigate,
drug controller of India, or any authorized laboratory by
the government of India. Without following the scientific
procedure, there are huge hue and cry across the country based
on partisan line happened in India. The concerned ministry
addressed the matter considering the public sentiments
and concerns. These consequences not only just harm the
scientific temper of the issue but also vitiate the society.
THE DRUG AND ITS OTHER
THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES
In traditional folklore medicine, leaves and fruits of
P. roxburghii have been used for the treatment of fever,
muscle twisting, arthralgia, and rheumatism.[6] It is also used
as antinociceptive, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory.[7]
Furthermore, the whole plant of P. roxburghii has been used
for the treatment of fever and hemorrhoids.[8]
Various phases of clinical trial show different beneficial results
of a particular drug. A drug is also subject to verification after
a few years of marketing based on the result that could be
used for other beneficial purposes. A drug should not simply
be avoided based on the perception of few adverse effects
rather the curable potentials of the drug be assessed and
used for all the beneficial effects. In case of P. roxburghii
as well, it requires systematic therapeutics evaluations for its
clinical efficacy against its indicated diseases. This requires
the involvement of various stakeholders such as physicians,
patients, volunteers, government, and researchers. Sound
research infrastructure is needed to ascertain the inherent
values of an herbal drug as adopted in the case of modern
medicines. As it is a public good, the government is supposed
to help and mobilize resources.
CONCLUSION
The discussion among the scientific community is required
more than the half-literate partisans to ascertain the quality
of any drug. Controversy if any in the society needs to
be addressed by the laboratory and government for the
continuation of particular drugs. The age old practice and
therapeutics value of a drug need to be highlighted in the
scientific community by media like print media, electronics
media, scientific literature, and professional associations.
There is a further requirement of social interventions to
prevent people from not being misguided by the careless
statements of partisan groups.
Concerns shown by some of the Indian parliamentarians
regarding the declining female sex ratio is a matter of pride,
however, linking this to an issue without proper exercise and
investigation seems absurd. There are several pending bills
that need to be passed for the benefit of the Indian mass.
Hence, this seems a petty politics and easy way of drawing
attention by some of the parliamentarians which they should
contemplate.
REFERENCES
1. Chaudhary NS, Shee C, Islam A, Ahmad F, Yernool D,
Kumar P, et al. Purification and characterization of
a trypsin inhibitor from Putranjiva roxburghii seeds.
Phytochemistry 2008;69:2120-6.
2. The Times of India. Ruckus in RS over Ramdev’s drug
promising male child. TNN|May 1, 2015.
3. Census of India 2011. Child sex ratio drops to lowest
since Independence. The Economic Times, India. PTI
March 31, 2011.
4. Government of India, Ministry of Women and Child
Development. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao. Available from:
http://www.wcd.nic.in/BBBPScheme/main.htm. [Last
accessed on 2016 Feb 10].
5. Sahni KC. The Book of Indian Tree. 2nd ed. New Delhi:
Himalaya Publishing House; 2009. p. 285-9.
6. Boonyaprapat N, Chokechaicharoenporn A. Samunprai
Maipuenban. Vol. 3. Bangkok: Prachachon; 1999.
p. 262-73.
7. Wantana R, Tassanee N, Sanan S. Antipyretic, anti-
inflammatory and analgesic activity of Putranjiva
roxburghii leaves. Net Med (Tokyo) 2009;63:290-6.
8. Shahwar D, Raza MA, Saeed A, Riasat M, Chattha FI,
Javaid M, et al. Antioxidant potential of the extracts of
Putranjiva roxburghii, Conyza bonariensis, Woodfordia
fruiticosa and Senecio chrysanthemoids. Afr J Biotechnol
2014;11:4288-95.
Source of Support: Nil. Conflict of Interest: None declared.