Description

Shakar Tighal, also known as Trehala manna, is an unusual substance derived not directly from a plant but from the protective cocoons constructed by larvae of the weevil Larinus maculatus around the flowering heads of certain Echinops species — particularly Echinops persicus (Persian globe thistle) — a perennial spiny herb of the family Asteraceae, native to the arid and semi-arid regions of Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. The white, papery cocoons contain a carbohydrate-rich substance including trehalose (a disaccharide uniquely associated with this material) and small amounts of plant-derived saccharides. In classical Unani pharmacopoeia, Shakar Tighal is listed as a demulcent, nutritive, and gently laxative substance incorporated in compound formulations. Traded from Iran and Afghanistan into the Indian Unani pharmaceutical market.