Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

M
404 Melia composita Willd.
astringent (outer bark contains tannins
and is astringent).
The ethanolic extract of the leaves
is fungicidal and antibacterial. The activity
is attributed to azadrine and meliotannic
acid.
The fruits are considered poisonous
to man and animals; contain melianoninol,
melianol, melianone, meliandiol,
vanillin and vanillic acid. Vanillic
acid analogues show micro- and
macro-filaricidal activity.
Gedunin, present in the plant, inhibits
Plasmodium falciparum, while
the seed extract does not show antimalarial
activity against P. berghei.
The plant exhibited sedative and
psychostimulant properties. Antitumour
and antiviral activities have also
been reported. Intraperitoneal administration
of partially purified extracts of
fresh green leaves reduced the spread of
Tacaribe virus (that causes typical encephalitis)
to kidneys, liver and brain
in inoculated neonatal mice.
Dosage ◮ Stem bark—5–10 g (API,
Vol. IV.); leaf, seed, root—50–
100 ml decoction; 3–5 g powder.
(CCRAS.)
Melia composita Willd.
Synonym ◮ M. dubia Hiern. non-Cav.
Family ◮ Meliaceae.
Habitat ◮ Eastern Himalayas, Assam,
Western Ghats, Ganjam and Deccan
up to 1,800 m.
English ◮ Hill Neem, Malabar Neem,
Common Bead tree.
Ayurvedic ◮ Arangaka.
Folk ◮ Malaivembu (Tamil).
Action ◮ Fruit—anthelmintic; used
in skin diseases.
The leaves and seeds gave tetranortriterpenoids,
compositin and compositolide.
The fruit gave salannin.
The heartwood yielded a triterpenoid.
Tamil and Malyalam synonyms
(Malaivembu and Malavembu) are
common to Melia azedarach and Melia
composita.
Melilotus alba Desr.
Family ◮ Fabaceae.
Habitat ◮ Native to Europe and Asia;
growninNorthIndia.
English ◮ White Sweet Clover.
Unani ◮ Ilkil-ul-Malik, Naakhunaa
(white-flowered var.).
Action ◮ See Melilotus indica.
Melilotus indica (Linn.) All.
Synonym ◮ M. parviflora Desf.
Family ◮ Paplionaceae; Fabaceae.
Habitat ◮ Native to Eurasia; found
as winter weed and cultivated for
fodder in parts of Punjab, Haryana
and Uttar Pradesh.
English ◮ Sweet Clover, Annual
Yellow Sweet Clover, Small-flowered
Melilot.
Ayurvedic ◮ Vana-methikaa.
Unani ◮ Ilkil-ul-Malik (yellowflowered
var.).
Folk ◮ Ban-Methi, Senji.