Morphological information

A large tree with whorled branches and bitter milky juice. Leaves in whorls of 5-7, oblong or obovate-oblong, obtuse, coriaceous, shining above, pale beneath, amin lateral nerves parallel. Cymes umbellate, compact, many flowered. Flowers greenish-white or greenish yellow, fragrant. Fruits slender follicles, in pendulous dusters. Seeds with brown hairs.

Flowering       : November-February

Fruiting           : December-March

History           :

Parts             : Leaves, bark and wood.

Status           : Cultivated, endangered in wild.

 

Phytochemistry

Picralinal, mp 179 degree, from fresh leaves (Experientia 1970, 26, 1056); akummigine, tabotawine, akeeammicine, akuammiane-Nb-oxide, its methiodide and hydroxy-19, 20 dihydroakuammicine isolated (Planta Med.1976, 30, 86) n-hexacosane, lupeol, -amyrin, palmitic acid and urosolic acid from flowers (Planta Med. 1977,31,33); pseudoakummigine, betulin, urosolic acid and  , -sitosterol from leaves (Indian J.Chem. 1977, 15B, 390); echitamine and a new glucoside Venterpine glucoside from stem bark (Indian J. For. 1978,1,66; Chem. Abstr.1979, 90, 36288x).

Agrocultivation

The plant is easily propagated through seeds.

 

Ayurvedic

The plant is used as constituent of application in "Saptachhaladi Kuatha", "Saptachhalde Taila" and "Saptapama Ghanasatva". It is employed in "Panchitiktaghan Batis"(as the pills) along with Pongamia pinnata TInosporia cordifolia, Andrographis pinaculata and Picrorhiza Kurooa, which form a specific remedy for Malaria and other fevers. The plants also forms an important ingrediant of Amritarista used as a remedy for fever, milky juice or latex applied in rheumatic pains, sores, toothache, tumors and ulcers, mixed with oil used as eardrop.

Wood: Paste with water applied in rheumatism and wounds. The bark in combination with other drugs is prescribed for snake bite (Sushruta, Yogaratnakara) and scorpion sting (Sushruta).

 

Traditional

The bark, because of its intense bitter taste is used as a febrifuge in treating malaria, other fevers and used as a bitter tonic. It cures gastro-intestinal troubles, sedative. The leaves-decoction used in congestion of liver, bruised leaves boiled in oil given internally in dropsy, juice mixed with that of ginger prescribed after confinement poultice applied to ulcers

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