Indian Medicinal Plants

426 Musa paradisiaca Linn.
M
Habitat ◮ Cultivated in Tamil Nadu;
Maharashtra and North India.
English ◮ Curry-Leaf tree.
Ayurvedic ◮ Surabhini-nimba.
Unani ◮ Karipattaa.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Karuveppilei,
Karivempu, Kattuveppilei.
Folk ◮ Mithaa Neem, Kathneem,
Gandhela, Barsanga.
Action ◮ Leaf—stomachic, antiprotozoal,
spasmolytic; promotes
appetite and digestion, destroys
pathogenic organism, antidysenteric.
Externally, used against skin
eruptions.
All parts of the plant, especially the
leaves, are rich in carbazole alkaloids
(several carbazole bases have been isolated).
The leaves also gave a coumarin
glucoside, scopolin.
The beta-carotene content of curry
leaves was found decreased on cooking;
deep frying resulted in maximum loss.
Inclusion of curry leaves in the diet
of diabetic patients reduced the blood
glucose level appreciably (it did not
produce any insulin response).
The steam distillate of the leaves is
reported to exhibit antifungal and insecticidal
activities.
The ethanolic extract of the stem
bark showed anti-inflammatory effect
in carrageenan-induced inflammation
in rats.
Musa paradisiaca Linn.
Synonym ◮
Family ◮
M. Sapientum Linn.
Musaceae.
Habitat ◮ Assam, Madhya Pradesh,
Bihar, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Jalgaon district (Maharashtra),
West Bengal, Tamil Nadu
and Kerala.
English ◮ Banana, Plantain.
Ayurvedic ◮ Kadali, Rambhaa,
Sakrtphala, Vaaranaa, Mochaa,
Ambusaara, Anshumatiphal.
Unani ◮ Kelaa, Mouz.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Vaazhai.
Action ◮ Fruit—mild laxative,
combats diarrhoea and dysentery,
promotes healing of intestinal
lesions in ulcerative colitis. Unripe
fruit considered useful in diabetes.
Fruit powder—used as a food
supplement in sprue and other
intestinal disorders. Root—
anthelmintic.
The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India
recommends the fresh rhizome
in dysuria, polyuria (in females) and
menstrual disorders; the flower in asthma,
bleeding disorders, vaginal discharges
and leucorrhoea.
Thepulpofripefruit(50g/ratper
day) given daily with standard food
pellets prevented increase in blood
pressure in deoxycorticosterone-induced
hypertension in rats. This was
found partially related to increased
serotonin levels triggered by the high
carbohydrate and tryptophan content
of the fruit.
Dietary fibre prepared from unripe
banana exerted an antiatherogenic effect,
keeping the levels of cholesterol in
serum and aorta low, as also the level of
LDL cholesterol in rats fed on cholesterol
diet.