Indian Medicinal Plants

28 Ailanthus malabarica DC.
A
Leaves produce dermatitis; their accumulation
in well-water produces
chronic gastritis.
Many quassinoids and ailanthone
derivatives are vermifuge and amoebicidal.
Constituents of the bark and
stem, particularly ailanthone, have antimalarial
activity in vitro against Plasmodium
falciparum and in mice against
P. berghei. (Alkaloids do not appear to
have these properties.) Some quassinoids
are antineoplastic, and are reported
to have antileukaemic properties.
The rootbark is used in traditional
Chinese medicine for dysentery and
leucorrhoea. In Africa, rootbark is
used in epilepsy.
Ailanthus malabarica DC.
Synonym ◮ A. triphysa (Dennst.)
Alston.
Family ◮ Simaroubaceae.
Habitat ◮ The evergreen forests
of western Ghats from Konkan
southwards.
Siddha ◮ Perumaram.
Folk ◮ Guggul-dhuupa. (Maharashtra.)
Action ◮ Bark—febrifuge, carminative
(given in typhoid, dyspepsia
and constipation). Oleo resin—
used for dysentery and bronchitis.
The bark and roots give a number
of beta-carboline alkaloids. The resinuous
exudates from trunk give several
triterpenoids, including malabaricol
and malabaricanediol.
Ainsliaea aptera DC.
Family ◮ Compositae; Asteraceae.
Habitat ◮ The Himalayas from
Kashmir to Bhutan at altitudes of
2,400 m, extending to Khasi hills of
Meghalaya.
Folk ◮ KaruiBuuti(Garhwal).
Action ◮ Powdered roots—used for
quick relief from acute stomach
ache; diuretic.
A related sp., A. latifolia Sch-Bip., is
used as an adulterant to Podophyllum
emodi.
Ajuga bracteosa Wall. ex Benth.
Family ◮ Labiatae Lamiaceae.
Habitat ◮ The sub-Himalayan tract,
plains of Punjab and the upper
Gangetic plain.
Ayurvedic ◮ Neelkanthi.
Folk ◮ Ratapaati (Kumaon), Khurbanti
(Punjab).
Action ◮ Astringent, febrifugal (given
in intermittent fever), stimulant,
aperient, diuretic. Used for the
treatment of gout and rheumatism;
also for amenorrhoea. Juice of
the leaves—blood purifier. The
powder is used for burns and boils.
The leaves are used in fever as
a substitute for cinchona.
An aqueous extract of the leaves
showed diuretic activity. An alkaloidal
fraction showed stimulant action on
the perfused frog heart. The plant
exhibited anticancer activity.