Description

The seeds of Cichorium intybus — Bazrul Hindiba in Unani pharmacopoeia — represent a distinct medicinal entity from the root and leaf of the chicory plant. Small, brownish, and ribbed, the seeds are documented in Ibn Sina’s Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb and subsequent Unani classical texts for their diuretic, hepatoprotective, and anti-inflammatory properties. The plant itself is native to temperate Europe and widely established across the Indian subcontinent in disturbed habitats and roadsides. In Ayurvedic peripheral references, the seeds have been associated with Kashmardaka in some regional compilations. The seeds are traded separately from the dried root in Indian herbal markets and are incorporated in compound Unani formulations for liver support, urinary tract function, and blood purification. Sourced primarily from cultivated crops in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.