Cassia fistula

Cassia fistula L.

Local name: Sondal.

English Name: Golden shower, Indian laburnum.

Family:  Caesalpiniaceae

Habitat: Cassia fistula probably originates from India and Sri Lanka, but is now pantropical. The medicinal use of Cassia fistula dates from ancient times and has been the main factor in its spread. It is now widespread in East Africa and several of the Indian Ocean islands.

Plant Description: Cassia fistula is a tree growing from 20 to 40 feet high, with many spreading branches toward the summit. The wood is hard and heavy. The leaves pinnate, alternate, from 12 to 18 inches long, and deciduous; the leaflets opposite or nearly so, from 4 to 8 pairs, the lower ones broad-ovate, smooth, obtuse, or emarginate, polished on both sides, on short, round petioles, from 2 to 6 inches long, and from 1 1/2 to 3 broad. The flowers are large, fragrant, bright-yellow, and borne on long, slender, smooth pedicels. The racemes are axillary, pendulous, simple, and 1 or 2 feet long. The calyx is composed of 5 nearly equal, oblong, obtuse, smooth sepals. The corolla consists of 5 petals, which are oval, unequal, concave, spreading, and waved. The 3 lower filaments, much longer than the others, have a double curve, but no swelling.

Plant parts used: Leaves, Flowers, Roots, Seeds.

                                               

Chemical constituents:

  

The seeds are rich in glycerides with linoleic, oleic,fistulic, stearic and palmitic acids and trace amounts of caprylic and myristic acids.The seeds are also rich in cephalin and lecithin phospholipids and carbohydrates.The bark contains lupeol, β-sitosterol and hexacosanol.The fruit tissue contains a substantial amount of potassium, calcium, iron and manganese.In addition, the in vivo and in vitro extracts of Cassia fistula are rich in polyphenolics and the secondary metabolites are consisted of anthraquinones, flavonoids and flavan-3-ol derivatives, sennoside A, sennoside B and many others.

Medicinal and Traditional Uses:

It is very effective in healing wounds, tumors, arthritic affected joint pains when pulp of the fruit is applied on the joint. Gargling with the decoction helps in relieving from mouth related disorders and throat infection. Application of the paste of leaves is very effective in treating. Decoction is very effective treating constipation as it acts as mild laxative. It also helps in indigestion. It is effective in suppressing pain and reduces inflammation.

Paste of pulp and flower is good treating respiratory tract disease, cough and asthmatic attacks as it soothes the tract. It also helps in relieving the burning sensation in the body. Powder from bark of the roots is consumed to get relief from arthritic condition prevailing in the body. It also acts as diuretic. It is also very effective in treating fever especially black water fever.

Azadirachta indica

Azadirachta indica A.Juss.

Local name: Neem.

English Name: Indian Lilac, Margosa tree.

Family:  Meliaceae.

Habitat: It is native to Pakistan, India and Bangladesh growing in tropical and semi-tropical regions.

Plant Description: Neem is a fast-growing tree that can reach a height of 15–20 metres (49–66 ft), rarely to 35–40 metres (115–130 ft). It is evergreen, but in severe drought it may shed most or nearly all of its leaves. The branches are wide spread. The fairly dense crown is roundish or ovular and may reach the diameter of 15–20 metres (49–66 ft) in old, free-standing specimens. Leaves are 20–40 centimetres (7.9–16 in) long, with 20 to 31 medium to dark green leaflets about 3–8 centimetres long. Flowers are The (white and fragrant) flowers are arranged axillary, normally in more-or-less drooping panicles which are up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) long. The fruit is a smooth (glabrous) olive like drupe which varies in shape from elongate oval to nearly roundish , and when ripe are 1.4–2.8 centimetres (0.55–1.1 in) by 1.0–1.5 centimetres (0.39–0.59 in).

Plant parts used: Leaves, Barks, Flowers, Fruits, Roots.

                                               

Chemical constituents: 

Plant contains azadirachtin, nimbin, nimbinin, nimbidin, nimbidin, nimbidol, sodium nimbinate, gedunin, salannin, quercetin.

The provisional naming was nimbin ( Sulphur-free crystalline product, melting point at 205 °C), nimbinin (melting at 192 °C), and nimbidin (cream-coloured containing amorphous sulphur, melting at 90–100 °C). Nimbidin is the main active anti-bacterial ingredient, and the highest yielding bitter component in the neem oil. These compounds are stable and found in substantial quantities in the Neem. They also serve as natural insecticides.

Neem seed oil contains the major concentrations of theses active compounds along with many fatty acids like oleic acid, stearic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid etc.

Medicinal and Traditional Uses:

Leaves are used to treat chickenpox and warts by directly applying to the skin in a paste form or by bathing in water with neem leaves. In order to increase immunity of the body, neem leaves are also taken internally in the form of neem capsules or made into a tea. The tea is traditionally taken internally to reduce fever caused by malaria. This tea is extremely bitter. It is also used to soak feet for treating various foot fungi.  It has also been reported to work against termites. In Ayurveda, neem leaves are used in curing neuromuscular pains. Neem leaves are also used in storage of grains. 

 Neem leaves paste can be applied directly on skin. Water boiled with neem leaves can be used for bathing. This helps in treating various skin problems like burns, injuries, scars, allergies etc. Nowadays, neem leaf powder is available in the market.

During ancient times, neem leaves were used to treat chicken pox and warts. Even today, it is medically proven that neem leaves are good for treating chicken pox.

Consuming raw neem leaves in an empty stomach is good for treating diabetes.We can also save our grains stock from pests by putting few dry neem leaves with it.We can boil few neem leaves in your morning tea and consume it. This helps in curing cold and cough.We can make neem leaves paste and apply it in swelling joints or in areas where there is pain. Its local application on arthritic conditions like gout, rheumatoid arthritis, lower back pain, and musculo skeletal pains is highly recommended with good results.

Twigs of neem are also used in India and Africa as toothbrushes. Nowadays toothpastes with neem extracts are also available commercially.

Bark & roots in powdered form are also used to control fleas & ticks on pets. Bark is used medicinally as a remedy for fever, and fruit pulp is also used as a tonic.

Aloe barbadensis

Aloe barbadensis Mill.  

Local name: Ghritakumari, Ghritakanchan

English Name: Aloe Vera

Family:  Aloaceae

Habitat: It is originated in the southern half of the Arabian peninsula, Northern Africa, the Canary islands and Cape Verde. It is widely distributed in Africa, India and other arid areas.

Plant Description: It is a stem less or very short-stemmed succulent plant growing to 60–100 cm tall. Leaves are thick and fleshy, green to grey-green, with some varieties showing white flecks on the upper and lower stem surfaces. Margin of the leaf is serrated and has small white teeth. The flowers are produced in summer on a spike up to 90 cm tall, each flower pendulous, with a yellow tubular corolla 2–3 cm long.

Plant parts used: Leaf gel and sap. Aloin Extract, dried juice of leaves and pulp root.

Chemical constituents:

Leaf contains more than 200 different constituents. The juice contains, on average, more than 99% water. Some constituents are acemannan and other polysaccharides aloe-emodin, aloins, barbaloin, isobarbaloin, amino acids, amorphous aloin, enzymes, essential fatty acids (anti-inflammatory), essential oil, galactomannans (long chain sugars derived from plants), glycoproteins, minerals, polysaccharides, resin, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc.

Medicinal and Traditional Uses:

The plant is widely used in bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic conditions. It eliminates parasites (especially protozoan infections), relieves Herpes simplex & zoster, relieves symptoms of Candida, relieves symptoms of Epstein-Barr virus (chronic fatigue syndrome), relieves symptoms of fungal infections, relieves symptoms of genital herpes, and relieves symptoms of yeast infections, staphylococcus infections, vaginitis and other viral infections.

It is also an aid in different blood conditions like hyperglycemia, in blood circulation, hemorrhoids. It lowers blood sugar in people with type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. It relieves hypertension and also useful in menstrual cramps and irregularity.