Indian Medicinal Plants

644 Tamarix aphylla (Linn.) Karst.
T
throat; applied as a poultice on
inflammatory swellings.
The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India
recommends the fruit pulp in tiredness
without exertion.
Leaves—juice, used for bleeding
piles, bilious fever and dysuria. Stembark—antipyretic
and astringent.
Used for diarrhoea. Bark is also
prescribed in asthma and amenorrhoea.
Seed-kernel—stimulant; used
as a supporting tonic in sexual debility
in Unani medicine.
Water stored in the tumbler, made
out of the wood, is given for treating
splenic enlargement.
Ethanolic extract of the seed coat
exhibited antioxidant activity. Kernel
gave polysaccharides composed of D-
glucose, D-xylose, D-galactose and L-
arabinose in a molar ratio of 8 : 4 : 2 : 1.
Polysaccharides showed immunomodulatory
activities such as phagocytic
enhancement, leukocyte migration inhibition
and inhibition of lymphocyte
proliferation.
The leaves gave flavone C-glycosides—orientin,
vitexin, iso-orientin and
iso-vitexin. The leaves and fruits gave
tartaric acid and malic acid. The
fruit pulp yielded amino acids—serine,
beta-alanine, proline, pipecolinic
acid, phenylalanine and leucine.
A bitter principle, tamarindienal,
isolated from the fruit pulp, showed
fungicidal and bactericidal activity
against Aspergillus nigar, Candida albicans,
Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus
aureus, E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
The ash of the bark is given in colic
and indigestion. The ash is also used
in gargles and mouthwash for apthous
sores.
Dosage ◮ Fruit pulp without seeds—
4–10 g. (API, Vol. IV.)
Tamarix aphylla (Linn.) Karst.
Synonym ◮ T. articulata Vahl.
T. orientalis Forsk.
Family ◮
Tamaricaceae.
Habitat ◮ Saline soils of Punjab,
Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
English ◮ Athel, Tamarisk.
Ayurvedic ◮ Maacheeka, Maachikaa.
Unani ◮ Maayin Khurd.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Sivappattushavukku.
Folk ◮ Laal jhaau. Galls—Chhoti-
Maayin.
Action ◮ Galls—astringent. Contain
50% tannin. Bark—contains 14%
tannin.
Galls used as a substitute for oakgalls
and sumac.
Galls contain polyphenols—gallic
acid, ellagic acid, dehydrodigallic acid,
dihydrojuglone-5-glucoside, isoferulic
acid and juglanin; flavonoids including
quercetin, its glucoside, isoquercitrin,
its methyl derivative, tamarixetin and
tamarixin.
Tamarix dioica Roxb.
Family ◮
Tamaricaceae.
Habitat ◮ Throughout in river beds
and near sea-coasts in Tamil Nadu.