It
is called 'Shivadurme', the tree of Shiva, and is one of the
sacred trees of the Hindus. Leaves are offered in prayers to
Shiva and Parvathi since ancient times. It has its own place
in indigenous systems of medicine. The fruit is the subject
of several solar-phallic myths. Hindu physicians regard the
unripe or half-ripe fruit as astringent, digestive and
stomachic and prescribe it to treat diarrhoea and dysentery.
The thick sherbet of the ripe fruit has a reputation among
Europeans as an agreeable laxative. It is also given for
piles; and as a remedy for diarrhoea. The root bark is used
as a remedy in hypochondriasis, melancholia and palpitation
of the heart. Fresh leaf juice used as a laxative and
febrifuge is used in asthmatic complaints and jaundice. The
chinese used the leaves and young fruits to adulterate
Opium. In Bengal it is used for dysentery. In Concar, small
and unripe fruits are used for piles. The juice of bark is a
remedy for poverty of seminal fluid. .
Habitat
It is found
in India, Burma, and Sri Lanka, often planted in the
vicinity of Shiva temples. It grows wild all over the
sub-Himalayan forests, central India and its west coast and
in dry hilly places ascending to 4,000 ft. high.
Morphology
Description (Habit)
It is a medium to large sized deciduous, glabrous and armed tree
with axillary and 2.5 cm long spines. Leaves alternate, 3-5 foliate,
leaflets are ovate to lanceolate, crenate, acuminate, membranous and
petiololed. Flowers in short axillary panicles, large and scented.
Calyx pubescent and four lobed. Petals 4, white and gland dotted.
Stamens many. Ovary ovoid, cells 10-20, ovules many, fruit globose,
grey or yellowish, rind woody. Seeds many, oblong, compressed,
embedded in reddish yellow coloured sweet pulp.
Principal
Constituents
Aegelin,
formerly identified as sterol but clarified as a neutral alkaloid,
rutacine, g- sitosterol, aegelemine and
aegeline were identified from the leaves1. Marmin,
marmesin, umbelliferine, skimmianine were identified from the bark
and roots2. A major constituent of the fruit is the
mucilage and marmelosin (0.5 %) a coumarin, in addition to the minor
constituents like reducing sugar, essential oils, ascorbic acid and
various minerals.
Pharmacology
Alcoholic and aqueous extracts of the leaves have similar effect
as digoxin in amplitude and contractions of the frog's heart.
Alcoholic extract of the roots and fruits showed hypoglycaemic
activity in albino rats and fruit extract has antiviral activity
against Ranikhet disease virus. Marmelosin has authelmintic activity
against ankylistomiasis3.
Indications
The roots are astringent, bitter and febrifuge. They are useful
in diarrhoea, dysentery, dyspepsia, stomachalgia, cardiopalmus,
seminal weakness, vomiting, intermittent fever and swellings. The
leaves are useful as laxative, febrifuge and expectorant, also in
ophthalmia, deafness, inflammations, catarrh, diabetes and asthmatic
complaints. The fruits are useful in diarrhoea, dysentery,
stomachalgia, and good for heart and brain.
It
is called 'Shivadurme', the tree of Shiva, and is one of the
sacred trees of the Hindus. Leaves are offered in prayers to
Shiva and Parvathi since ancient times. It has its own place
in indigenous systems of medicine. The fruit is the subject
of several solar-phallic myths. Hindu physicians regard the
unripe or half-ripe fruit as astringent, digestive and
stomachic and prescribe it to treat diarrhoea and dysentery.
The thick sherbet of the ripe fruit has a reputation among
Europeans as an agreeable laxative. It is also given for
piles; and as a remedy for diarrhoea. The root bark is used
as a remedy in hypochondriasis, melancholia and palpitation
of the heart. Fresh leaf juice used as a laxative and
febrifuge is used in asthmatic complaints and jaundice. The
chinese used the leaves and young fruits to adulterate
Opium. In Bengal it is used for dysentery. In Concar, small
and unripe fruits are used for piles. The juice of bark is a
remedy for poverty of seminal fluid. .
Aegelin,
formerly identified as sterol but clarified as a neutral alkaloid,
rutacine, g- sitosterol, aegelemine and
aegeline were identified from the leaves1. Marmin,
marmesin, umbelliferine, skimmianine were identified from the bark
and roots2. A major constituent of the fruit is the
mucilage and marmelosin (0.5 %) a coumarin, in addition to the minor
constituents like reducing sugar, essential oils, ascorbic acid and
various minerals.