Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

The bark contains gum and tannin.
The red gum is used as a substitute for
Gum arabic. An infusion of the bark
is given in first stages of smallpox and
other eruptive fevers (emetic in large
doses).
Dosage ◮ Whole plant—10–
20 ml juice; 50–100 ml decoction.
(CCRAS.)
Sesbania sesban (Linn.) Merrill.
Synonym ◮ S. aegyptiaca Pers.
Family ◮ Papilionaceae; Fabaceae.
Habitat ◮ Cultivated and wild
throughout India.
English ◮ Common Sesban.
Ayurvedic ◮ Jayantikaa, Jayanti, Jayaa,
Jwaalaamukhi, Suukshma-muulaa,
Suukshma-patraa, Keshruuhaa,
Balaamotaa.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Sembai, Karumsembai
(leaf).
Folk ◮ Jainta.
Action ◮ Seed and bark—astringent,
emmenagogue. Used in
menorrhagia, spleen enlargement
and diarrhoea. Leaves—antiinflammatory.
Bark—juice applied
to cutaneous eruptions. Unsaponifiable
matter of fixed oil from seeds—
cardiac depressant, antibacterial.
The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India
recommends the use of the leaf in
dysuria.
The pods and leaves contain cholesterol,
campesterol and beta-sitosterol.
Flowers contain cyanidin and delphinidin
glucosides. Pollen and pollen tubes
Seseli sibiricum Benth. ex C. B. Clarke 601
contain alpha-ketoglutaric, oxaloacetic
and pyruvic acids.
Dosage ◮ Leaf—3–6 g powder. (API,
Vol. II.)
Seseli indicum W. & A.
Synonym ◮ S. diffusum (Roxb. ex
Sm.) Santapau & Wagh
Family ◮ Umbelliferae; Apiaceae.
Habitat ◮ Outer hills of the Himalayas
in Kumaon and in the plains from
Punjab to Bengal, and in Tamil
Nadu and Mysore.
Ayurvedic ◮ Vanya-yamaani.
Action ◮ Seeds—stimulant, anthelmintic
(used for round worms),
carminative.
Seselin, isolated from the seeds, exhibited
significant and dose-dependent
anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced
acute inflammation in
rats. It also exhibited significant analgesic
activity and was found to be safe
in oral doses up to 6 g/kg (body weight)
in 72 h mortality test in mice.
A sample of commercial oil, available
as Ajmod Oil, is reported to contain
(+)-limonene (50%), seselin, (−)beta-selinene
and beta-cyclolavendulic
acid.
Seseli sibiricum
Benth. ex C. B. Clarke
Family ◮ Umbelliferae; Apiaceae.
Habitat ◮ Jammu and Kashmir at
altitudes of 2,500 to 3,500 m.
S