cholerae.
In China and Taiwan, the leaf extract is administered for treating diarrhoea, dysentery, diabetes and inflammations. The leaf extract (containing quercetin) inhibits acetylcholine release in the gastro-intestinal tract which might account for us antidiarrhoeal activity An extract ofleaves with a little salt is given in relieve whooping cough.
In New Papua Guinea, decoction of new leaf tips is drunk to treat hepatitis.
Guava seed oil contains very higher proporation of linoleic acid (75.52%)
Pterocarpus dalbergioides Roxb. 523
than sunflower, groundnut, olive, soybean and coconut oil. The seeds from Pakistan yield 9.25% of a fatty oil.
Vitamin C content of the ripe fruit ranges from 100 to 1000 mg!100 g. It is highest in the skin and in the flesh next to it.
Psidium cattleyanum Sabine is equated with Straberry Guava and is known as Seemai Koyya in Tamil Nadu and Pahari Payaar in Bengal. The fruit contains vitamin C 15—44 mg!100 g.
Smaller var. of Guava is equated with Psidium guineense Sw. It is found in Tripura.
Psoralea corylifolia Linn.
Family Papilionaceae; Fabaceae. English Babchi, Purple Fleabane.
Habitat Rajasthan., eastern districts of Punjab and adjoining areas of Uttar Pradesh.
Ayurvedic Somaraaji, Somavalli, Somavallik, Soma, Chaandri, Vaakuchi, Baakuchi, Avalguja. (Somaraaji and Avalguja have also been equated with Centratherum anthelminticum.)
Unani Baabchi, Bakuchi. Siddha/Tamil Karpoogaarisi.
Action Seed—used in leucoderma, vitiligo, leprosy, psoriasis and inflammatory diseases of the skin, both orally and externally. (The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India.)
The seed and roots contain chalcones, flavones, isoflavones, furanocoumarins and coumesterol group of
compounds. These include psoralen, isopsoralen, bavachinin.
A mixture of psoralen and isopsoralen, in a ratio of 1:3, is recommended for topical application in leucoderma. These furanocoumarins initiate transformation of DOPA to melanin under the influence of UV light. Seeds are powdered and administered orally with warm water (5 g!day) in cases of eczema.
Psoralen was found to be cytotoxic in vitro. The combination therapy of psoralen and UV irradiation has been shown to inhibit the growth of tumours in vivo.
Bavachinin-A, isolated from the fruits, exhibited marked anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and mild
