musta :

Substitute:

Adultrants:

C. scariosus

Controversy:

-There is some controversy regarding its botanical identity largely because early Ayurvedic texts mentioned two varieties "Nagara musta and Bhadra musta" which were later identified respectively as Cyperus scariosus R. Br. and Cyperus rotundus L. (Sastry, 2005). The work of Kaviraj Govind Das Sen of 17-18^th centuries entitled "Bhaisajya Ratnavali", states that "Musta ca Ativisha abhave", which literally means that Musta can be used as a substitute of Ativisha (Mishra, 2007). In fact it has been accepted by Ayurveda that Musta is a substitute (Abhava Pratinidhi Dravya) for Ativisha(Venkatasubramanian et al., 2010). However their bioequivalence has not been scientifically validated or published. It was also indicated that the roots of Cryptocoryne spiralis (Retz.) Fischer ex Wydler can be used as a substitute of Ativisha (Anandakumar et al., 1982), although it was recommended to the contrary (Sastry, 2005). Since the annual demand for Ativisha has reached over 200 t with a cost of US$ 73.62/kg, (Ved & Goraya, 2008) markets, especially in south India, substitute Ativisha with known and unknown substitutes and adulterants, which include among others C. scariosus, C. rotundus, and Cryptocoryne spiralis. Hence, it is necessary to study the pharmacognosy of authentic field collections to establish quality standards to distinguish the genuine from substitute/adulterants of Ativisha. It is also necessary to find out the extent of similarity between the genuine and the substituted/adulterated samples, in order to understand the legitimacy behind substitution.

Commercial value:

Cyperus rotundus is one of the most invasive weeds known, having spread out to a worldwide distribution in tropical and temperate regions. It has been called "the worlds worst weed"

• » Classification and names of musta
• » Synonyms and definitions of musta
• » Drug Properties of musta
• » Chemical Constituents of musta
• » Standardization of musta
• » Parts used and Dosage of musta
• » Morphology and Histology of musta
• » Distribution and Conservation of musta
• » Cultivation of musta
• » musta in the market
• » Medicinal Uses of musta
• » Researches and clinical trails of musta
• » musta in other sytems of medicine
• » Ayurvedic formulations with musta
• » Images of musta