World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON SIDA SPECIES (BALA)

Dr. Manasi Londhe*, Dr. Prachi Nandwate, Dr. D. B. More and Dr. Shubhangi Chavan

ABSTRACT

Malvaceae is distributed widely in tropical and temperate regions. Few species of Sida are used in different traditional systems medicines and sold in market. To avoid fre¬quent adulteration the identification of Sida species is very necessary. The most commonly sold species is Sida cordifolia, seeds of which are being used as Ayurvedic drug named “Bala”. It is being frequently adulterated with other species of Sida such as Sida rhombifolia, Sida cordata, Sida spinosa and Sida alba. Some other species are also being used as medicine: Sida acuta, Sida rhombifolia, S. spinosa, S. ve¬ronicaefolia, S. ovate. In Vedic literature, we may find the wide description of Bala in Atharva Veda and Sama Veda. In Amarkosha the mention is found in Vanoushadhi Varga. In Atharva Veda, Kalpasutra the mention regarding Bala is available. In Paippalada Samhita, Bala is cited as Rasayana, Vishaghna, Balya and Pramehaghna. In Atharva Parishishta Bala is used as Pushpaabhisheka. Sida cordifolia, with its ephedrine and pseudoephedrine has gained a lot of interest and is now sold by many of these companies. Chemical constituents of Sida cordifolia are Ephedrine. Pseudoephedrine Sterculic, malvalic and coronaric acid, Fatty acids. The Plant is alternative tonic, astringent, emollient, aphrodisiac etc. It has possible antioxidant effect also. Nagbala is a single drug Rasayana mentioned in Brihattrayi. They had used Nagbala in both preventive aspect and as Naimittik Rasayana in Kshata and Kshaya. Sushruta Samhita mentioned it in Sarvopaghatashamaniya Adhyaya which suggests its property in healing diseases. There are three plant species considered as Nagbala by different scholars Sida spinosa, Sida humilis and Grevia hirsuta. From which Sida humilis is considered as Nagbala by many authors.

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