Babchi is an erect herbaceous plant that possesses broad elliptic leaves. Its flowers are yellow or bluish purple in colour. The plant bears pods containing single seed. Psoralea corylifolia (Babchi) is an important plant in the Indian Ayurveda system of medicine, and also Chinese medicine. The seeds of this plant contain a variety of coumarins including psoralen. The seeds have a variety of medicinal uses, but the specific role (if any) of psoralen in these uses is unknown. Psoralen itself has a number of commercial uses. An extract of the plant's fruit Fructus psoraleæ has been shown to act as a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor. The plant bears pods containing single seed. Bakuci is bitter and pungent in taste, pungent in the post digestive effect and has hot potency. It alleviates kapha and vata dosas but aggravates the pitta dosa. It possesses light and dry attributes. It is a mild laxative and alleviates various skin diseases. An essential oil is found in baduci seeds. Resins, fixed oil and a crystalline solid, psoralen, a furocoumarin, have been isolated. Psoralens are active principles for inducing pigmentation.
