Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

Psychiatry, 74, 2003; Natural Medicines
Comprehensive Database, 2007.) (For
cholinergic activity, BMJ, 325, 2002,
1312–1233.)
Melochia corchorifolia Linn.
Family ◮ Sterculiaceae.
Habitat ◮ Kumaon to Sikkim, Gujarat
and Peninsular India.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Pinnakkuppundu.
Folk ◮ Chunch, Bilpat.
Action ◮ Leaf and root—antidysenteric.
Leaf—applied as poultice for
swellings of abdomen and sores.
The leaves gave flavonol glycosides,
cyclopeptide alkaloids. The triterpenoids
and steroids, isolated from
the aerial parts, are friedelin, betasitosterol
and its beta-D-glucoside and
stearate.
Melothria maderaspatana
(L.) Cogn.
Synonym ◮ Cucumis maderaspatana
Linn.
Bryonia scabrella Linn. f.
Mukia scabrella (Linn. f.) Arn.
Family ◮ Cucurbitaceae.
Habitat ◮ Throughout India,
ascending up to 1,800 m in the hills.
Ayurvedic ◮ Ahilekhana, Trikoshaki.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Musumsukkai.
Folk ◮ Agmaki.
Action ◮ Tender shoots—gentle
aperient, diuretic, stomachic;
Memecylon edule Roxb. 407
decoction used in biliousness and
flatulence.
The root contains columbin; seed oil
gave linoleic, oleic and palmitic acids.
Fresh aerial parts exhibit potent antihepatotoxic
activity.
In carbon tetrachloride-induced liver
dysfunction in albino rats, the recovery
of liver, treated with the extract
from aerial parts, was significant
and there was marked decrease in
serum levels of the enzymes, alanine,
aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase
and alkaline phosphatase.
Kuruvikizhangu of Siddha medicine,
used for acute diarrhoea and
fever, is equated with Malothria perpusilla
(Blume) Cogn. Zehneria hookeriana
Arn., found in upper Gangetic
plain from Nepal to Assam and in
Peninsular India.
Memecylon edule Roxb.
Synonym ◮ M. umbellatum Burm. f.
Family ◮ Melastomataceae.
Habitat ◮ Orissa, Assam and Western
Peninsula.
English ◮ Iron Wood.
Ayurvedic ◮ Anjani.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Kasai, Anjani.
Folk ◮ Yaalki, Lokhandi (Maharashtra).
Action ◮ Fruit and leaf—astringent.
Leaf—antileucorrhoeic, spasmolytic,
hypoglycaemic. A lotion
prepared from the leaves is used
in ophthalmia. Root—used in
excessive menstrual discharge.
M