Indian Medicinal Plants

724 Xylia xylocarpa (Roxb.) Taub.
X
The root contains fat, rich in acetylenic
acids, including ximenynic acid.
The bark contains 17% tannin. An extract
of leaves gave positive test for
presence of free triterpenoids.
Alcoholic extract of the plant
showed antiviral and hypotensive activity
in primary tests on animals.
A cyanogenic and antimicrobial
constituent, sambunigrin, is present
in the plant. Natural lignified products
from the plant significantly stimulate
iodination of human peripheral blood
polymorphonuclear cells.
The fruit contains 60.3 mg/100 g
ascorbic acid.
Xylia xylocarpa (Roxb.) Taub.
Synonym ◮
Family ◮
Habitat ◮
Siddha/Tamil ◮
Folk ◮
X. dolabriformis Benth.
Mimosaceae.
Peninsular India.
Irul.
Jambu, Suriaa.
Action ◮ Bark—anthelmintic,
antidiarrhoeal. Seed oil—antirheumatic.
Bark and seed oil—
antileprotic, used for ulcers and
piles. A decoction of the bark
powder is given with honey as
avermifuge.
The leaves contain beta-sitosterol
and t-5-hydroxypipecolic acid which
was shown to be an inhibitor of blood
platelet aggregation.
The bark from South India gave tannin
17.1 and non-tans 11.1%; also contains
triterpenes. The leaves contain
2.8% of tannins.
The seed yielded oil with oleic 21.5,
linoleic 34.8, behenic 21.3 and lignoceric
10.2% fatty acids.
Xylocarpus granatum Koen.
Synonym ◮ Carapa granatum (Koen.)
Alston.
Habitat ◮ Coastal regions of India,
especially in Tamil Nadu.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Somanthiri, Kanlolanyey.
English ◮ The Puzzle Fruit tree.
Folk ◮ Pussur, Dhundul.
Action ◮ Bark—astringent, antidysenteric,
febrifuge.
The bark and leaves contain friedelin,
beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol; tetranorterpenoids—oxomeliac
derivatives.
Bark, in addition, contains triacontanol.
The heartwood contains
beta-sitosterol and gedunin. Different
parts of the plant contain tannins—
fruit pulp 8.57, leaves 7.92, twig bark
14.82, branch bark 20.58, bole bark
23.73, branch wood 4.67 and bole wood
4.94%.
A closely related species X.gangeticus
Prain occurs in West Bengal and
the Andamans.
Xylopia parviflora
Hook. f. Thoms.
Family ◮ Annonaceae.
Habitat ◮ Evergreen forests of Kerala
up to an altitude of 600 m.