Puncture Vine

Puncture vine ( Tribulus terrestris) is a medicinal plant which has been used as a folk medicine for thousands of years in ayurvedic medicine. It is also a common weed that grows in many countries across the globe. It is best known for its healing property in sexual difficulties, impotence, and human and animal hormonal imbalance resulting in reduced libido.

The fruits and roots have been used in humans for the treatment of urinary affection, urinary calculi, polyuria, dyspnoea, cough, piles dysuria, heart disease and as a gastric stimulant. In native Chinese medicine, the leaves are used for treatment of stomach problems, bladder stones, male reproductive disorders and ocular diseases.

Important:The same properties which make puncture vine a useful medicinal plant can also be toxic. A side effect of puncture vine is increased testosterone levels in males and number of growing ovarian follicles in females. Neither of these are desirable for behavioral considerations in males and in hens with reproductive disorders.