Action Gall—astringent, expectorant, antiasthmatic, antidysenteric, styptic.
Key application In cough, bronchitis and dyspnoea. (The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India.)
The tetracyclic triterpenes, pistacigerrimones A, B and C have been isolated from the galls produced on the leaves.
Alpha-pinene 21.8, beta-pinene 16.2, alpha-phellandrene 15.5 and delta-carene 11% are major constituents of the essential oil extracted from galls. The oil is reported to exhibit CNSdepressant, antispasmodic, carminative and antibacterial, antiprotozoal, antiamoebic, anthelmintic activities.
Dosage Gall—3—6 g powder. (API, Vol. I.)
Pistacia lentiscus Linn.
Family Anacardiaceae.
Habitat Mediterranean countries. The resin is imported into India.
English Mastic tree.
Unani Mastagi, Roomi Mastagi, Mastaki.
Siddha/Tamil Ponnuikan kungiliyam.
Pistia stratiotes Linn. var. cuneata Engi.
495
Action Resin—carminative, diuretic, stimulant, astringent.
The mastic gum contains 2% essential oil. The oil sample from Spain is reported to contain 90% monoterpene hydrocarbons, the maj or constituents of which are alpha-pinene 79% and mycrene 3%.
Chief comp onents of the resin triterpenes are mastic acid, isomastic acid, oleanolic acid and tirucallol.
The lyophilized aqueous extract of the aerial parts gave steroid-triterpenes, catechin tannins, flavonoids, saponins, resins and sugars. In some regions of Spain, the aerial parts are used against hypertension.
There is some preliminary evidence that Mastic might have hypotensive and antioxidant effects. (The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons, 1999.)
For prevention of gastric and duodenal ulcers, some researchers thinkMastic might have antisecretory and possibly cytoprotective effects. (I Ethnopharmacol, 15(3), 1986; Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)
Pistacia khinjuk Stocks is known as khinjak, Butum and Roomi Mastagi in Mumbai and Maharashtra. P terebinthus Linn. is known as Kabuli Mus taki.
Pistacia vera Linn.
Family Anacardiaceae.
Habitat Native to eastern Mediterranean region, Iran, Afghanistan
