Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

M
392 Madhuca longifolia (Koen.) Macb.
Unani ◮ Mahuaa.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Ieluppai.
Action ◮ Flowers—stimulant,
demulcent, laxative, anthelmintic,
bechic. Seed oil—galactogenic,
anticephalgic, emetic. Used in
pneumonia, skin diseases, piles.
Bark—astringent, emollient. Used
for tonsilitis, gum troubles, diabetes,
ulcers. Bark, seed oil and gum—
antirheumatic.
The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India
recommends the flower without
stalk or calyx in asthma and pthisis.
The fruit pulp yielded a number
of triterpenoids (including alpha- and
beta-amyrin acetate); also n-hexacosanol,
beta-D-glucoside of beta-sitosterol
and free sitosterol.
Nut shell gave beta-sitosterol glucoside,
quercetin and dihydroquercetin.
The carollas are rich source of sugars,
vitamins, phosphorus, calcium and
iron; magnesium and copper are also
present. The sugars identified are sucrose,
maltose, glucose, fructose, arabinose
and rhamnose.
The seeds yielded saponins—2,3di-O-glucopyranoside
of bassic acid
(saponin A and saponin B). Mixture of
saponins from seeds exhibits spermicidal
activity.
Trunkbarkcontainedlupeolacetate,
beta-amyrin acetate, alpha-spinasterol,
erythrodiol monocaprylate, betulinic
acid and oleanolic acid caprylates.
Dosage ◮ Flower—10–15 g (API, Vol.
II.); flower-juice—10–20 ml; bark—
50–100 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)
Madhuca longifolia
(Koen.) Macb.
Synonym ◮ Bassia longifolia Koenig.
Family ◮ Sapotaceae.
Habitat ◮ Cultivated in Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, Andhara Pradesh,
Karnataka, Bengal and Maharastra.
English ◮ South Indian Mahua.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Illupei, Elupa, Naatu
Iluppai, Iruppai.
Folk ◮ Madhuulaka, Jala-Madhuuka,
Jala-Mahuaa.
Action ◮ Same as that of Madhuca
indica.
Seed kernel gave protobassic acid
(a sapogenol) and two major saponins
named Mi-saponins A and B and
a minor one Mi-saponin C—all bisdesmosides
of protobassic acid. Misaponins
exhibit anti-inflammatory
and antiulcerogenic activities.
Mahua oil causes total but reversible
sterility in male rats as it shows testicular
atrophy with degeneration of seminiferous
tubules.
A related species, Madhuca neriifolia
(Moon) H. J. Lam., synonym
Bassia neriifolia Moon, Bassia malabarica
Bedd. (known as Atta Illuppei
in Tamil), is found in Western Ghats
and coastal region of South India.
The flowers are used in renal diseases;
fruits in rheumatism, cough,
asthma and consumption; seed oil is
used in rheumatism.