Habitat The western part of Peninsular India, from Konkan southwards to Anaimalai and
Travancore hills, up to an altitude of 1,000 m.
Ayurvedic Lavanga-lataa (var.).
Folk Kokilaa (Bengal).
Action See Luvunga scandens.
Luvunga scandens
(Roxb.) Buch.-Ham. ex Wight.
Family Rutaceae.
Habitat Bengal, Assam and Khasi Hills.
Ayurvedic Lavanga-lataa.
Folk Sugandh-kokilaa (Bengal).
Action Essential oil—antifungal.
Mature berries contain coumarins. The essential oil from berries contains cinnamyl cinnamate, cineole, dcamphor and methyl cinnamate as major components.
Dried fruits are used in medicinal hair oils, prescribed for treating baldness.
The bark contains myricadiol, taraxerol and myricolal.
Lycium barbarum Linn.
Family Solanaceae.
Habitat Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Unani Chirchataa, Chirchitaa, Chirchitta.
Folk Kheechar Chirchataa.
Action Immunostimulatory, antiproliferatory, antiageing;
antioxidant.
The leaves and flowers contain free quercetin (1.28 and 1.58 mg!g dry weight, respectively), and bound kaempferol. Total alkaloid percentage is nearly the same in shoots (1.26%) and fruits (1.24%) but lower in calli (0.83%) and roots (0.67%). Fruits had highest atropine content (0.95%) and shoots the highest hyoscyamine content (0.33%).
Flavonoids are active against E. coil, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans (quercetin does not show activity against Candida albi cans).
The polysaccharide extract from fruits showed antiageing, immunostimulatory and antiproliferatory activities. The polysaccharide acts as an antioxidant and prevented CC14-induced increases in lipid peroxidases in liver. It can also protect against genetic damage from mutagenic and genotoxic
