Chlorophytum Borivilianum (Safed Musli)
Introduction: Safed moosli (Chlorophytum borivilianum) holds an important position in Indian herbal medicine. It grows in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and the Central Deccan Plateau.  Safed Musli is a potent herb whose root tubers have been in use for aphrodisiac and health promotion purposes since 11th century A.D. in India. The roots are widely used as a natural "sex tonic" and are integral part of more than 100 herbal drug formulations. The roots are useful for spermatogenetic, spermatorrhoea and chronic leucorrhoea. Although Indian forests are rich in safed moosli demand is increasing rapidly in Indian and international drug markets. Major Chemical Constituents: Chlorophytum borivilianum’s major constituents are saponins, alkaloids, carbohydrates, protein and fibers. Pharmacological Actions Aphrodisiac activity & Spermatogenic activity: 1,2,3 To prove the aphrodisiac and immunostimulatory activity of Chlorophytum borivilianum, the study was done on male albino rats. The results of the study supported the folklore claim for the usefulness of Chlorophytum borivilianum as aphrodisiac and immunostimulatory agent and provide a scientific basis for the purported traditional usage. Another study was done to evaluate the aphrodisiac and spermatogenic potential of the aqueous extract of dried roots of Chlorophytum borivilianum(CB) in male Wistar albino rats. The results showed that CB had a marked aphrodisiac action, increased libido, sexual vigor and sexual arousal. Similarly, the sperm count increased significantly in the groups which were given Chlorophytum borivilianum extracts. Anti-oxidant activity: 5,6,7 Study was contducted on healthy, male Wistar albino rats to see the antioxidant and antistress activity of Chlorophytum borivilianum. The results of the study showed that Chlorophytum borivilianum is an anti-stress agent as well as potential antioxidant. Couple of other studies also shows that Chlorophytum borivilianum has a potential antioxidant property. Herbal-Drug interactions: There are no known herbal-drug intereactions. Safety: No health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction with the proper administration of designated therapeutic dosages. Reference 1 Thakur M, Chauhan NS., Bhargava S. and Dixit VK., A Comparative Study on Aphrodisiac Activity of Some Ayurvedic Herbs in Male Albino Rats. Arch Sex Behav. 2009 Jan 13. 2 Thakur M, Dixit VK. Effect of Chlorophytum borivilianum on androgenic and sexual behavior of male rats. Indian Drugs 2006; 43 : 300–6. 3 Kenjale R., Shah R., and Sathaye S., Effects of Chlorophytum borivilianumon sexual behaviour and sperm count in male rats. Phytotherapy Research 2008 April; 22 (6): 796 - 801 4 Kenjale RD., Shah RK. & Sathaye SS., Antistress and anti-oxidant effects of roots of Chlorophytum borivilianum. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 2007 November; 45: 974-979 5 Govindrajan R., Sreevidya N., Vijaykumar M., Thakur M., Dixit VK., In-vitro antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of C. borivilianum, Natural product sciences. 2005; 11(3): 165-169 6 Deore SL., Khadabadi SS.,  Anti-Inflammatory and antioxidant Activity of Chlorophytum borivilianum Root Extracts, Asian J of chemistry. 2008; 20 (2): 983-986