Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

menopausal cramps, leg-cramps.
Essential oil—used only externally.
Used in aromatherapy for massage
(10 drops in 2 teaspoonful of almond
oil).
The essential oil from the plant gave
73 compounds; major compound was
alpha-pinene (47.00–52.76%); among
others—D-camphane, D-silvestren, pcymene,
L-cadinenes, cedrol, terpineol,
acetyl-and isovalerianyl monoterpene
ester.
No longer taken internally as a diluted
essential oil. Medicinal parts are
cones, branches and oil.
Curculigo orchioides Gaertn.
Family ◮ Amaryllidaceae; Hypoxidaceae.
Habitat ◮ Sub-tropical Himalayas
from Kumaon eastwards; Western
Ghats from Konkan Southwards.
Ayurvedic ◮ Taalmuuli, Taalpatri,
Krishna Mushali, Bhuumitaala.
Unani ◮ Musli Siyaah.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Nilappanan kizhangu.
Action ◮ Nervine, adaptogenic, sedative,
anticonvulsive, androgenic,
anti-inflammatory and diuretic.
Used in Jaundice, urinary disorders,
skin diseases and asthma.
Mucilaginous.
The rhizome contains saponins (curculigosaponin
C and F promoted proliferation
of spleen lymphocytes very
significantly; F and G increased the
weight of the thymus in vitro in mice);
Curcuma amada Roxb. 185
sapogenins; phenolic glycosides, a triterpene
alcohol; a pentacyclic triterpene,
an aliphatic compound, hentriacontanol,
sitosterol, stigmasterol,
cycloartenol and sucrose. A peptide,
Curculin C, containing 114 amino
acids, has been isolated from the fruit.
In traditional Chinese medicine,
dried rhizome, containing curculigoside
is used as a tonic for its immunological
and protective property.
In Indian medicine, powdered rhizomeswithmilkaretakenasarestorative
tonic, also for sexual debility.
EtOH (50%) of the plant exhibited
hypoglycaemic property.
Dosage ◮ Dried rhizome—3–6 g
powder. (API Vol. IV.)
Curcuma amada Roxb.
Family ◮ Zingiberaceae.
Habitat ◮ Cultivated in Gujarat;
wild in parts of West Bengal, Uttar
Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil
Nadu.
English ◮ Mango-ginger, Wild
Turmeric.
Ayurvedic ◮ Aamra Haridraa, Aamragandhi
Haridraa, Surabhidaaru,
Karpuraa.
Unani ◮ Aambaa Haldi, Daarchob.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Mangaiinji.
Action ◮ Carminative, stomachic,
appetizer, expectorant, antipyretic,
anti-inflammatory. Specific in
rheumatism and inflammation of
liver; rheumatism; in contusions
and sprains.
C