diseases). Flowers—prescribed in
dysentery and dysmenorrhoea.
The saponifiable fraction of the petroleum ether extract of roots exhibited anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced paw oedema in albino rats.
The leaves contain a triterpenoid, lupeol, which shows anti-inflammatory activity. The crude alcoholic extract and the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited antigenic activity.
The flowers contain an essential oil (0.5%) which possesses antimicrobial activity. Flower contain leucocyanidin glycoside.
The plant substrate removes heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium and mercury from polluted water.
Ixora pavetta Andr.
Synonym I. Parvflora Vahl.
Family Rubiaceae.
Habitat West Bengal, Bihar, Western Central and South India.
English Torchwood Tree.
Ayurvedic Nevaari, Nevaali, Ishwara, Rangan.
Siddha/Tamil Shulundu-kora, Korivi.
Action Flowers—pounded with milk, for whooping cough. Bark—a decoction for anaemia and general debility. Fruit and root—given to females when urine is highly coloured. The leaves contain ixoral and betasitosterol. Leaves and flowers gave
Ixora javanica (Blume) DC.
339
flavonoids—rutin and kaempferol3-rutinoside; stems gave a flavone glycoside, chrysin 5-O-beta-D- xylopyranoside. The aerial parts contain 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin. The seed oil gave capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, arachidic, behenic, oleic and linoleic acids.
Ixora javanica (Blume) DC. Family Rubiaceae.
Habitat Gardens of Kerala and West Bengal.
Action Leaves, flowers—cytotoxic, antitumour.
The ethanolic, extract of leaves showed cytotoxic activity against Dalton’s lymphoma, Ehrlich ascites carcinoma and Sarcoma 180 tumour cells in vitro. The flowers have been found to contain antitumour principles, active against experimentally induced tumour models.
Jacaranda acutifolia
auct. non-Humb. & Bonpi.
