Habitat Throughout the plains of India.
English Old world Arrowhead.
Folk Chhotaa Kuuta, Muyaa (Bengali).
Action Plant—discutient, antigalactagogue, astringent, anti- inflammatory. Tuber—used for
cutaneous diseases. Leaves—powder dusted in pruritus; mashed with molasses used in sore throat and
inflammation of the breasts.
The plant contains a diterpene, sagittariol, beta-sitosterol, its glucoside and hentriacontanone. The diterpenes, tnfoliones A, B, C and D, inhibited histamine release from rat mast cells.
The bulbs contain sandaracopimaric acid which suppressed the immune function of animal T-cells.
Salacia chinensis Linn.
Synonym S. prinoides DC.
Family Hippocrateaceae; Celastraceae.
Habitat A large, climbing shrub or small tree occurring throughout India, including the Andaman Islands.
English Saptrangi.
Ayurvedic Saptachakraa, Swammuula, Saptarangi.
Folk Ingali (Maharashtra),
Modhuphal (Bengal), Cherukuranti (Kerala).
Action Roots—used in diabetes. Also used for amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea and genito-urinary and venereal diseases.
The root bark contains proanthocyanidins, consisting of monomeric leucopelargonidin, its monomer, dimer and tetramer; triterpenoids (friedelin and its derivatives), mangiferine, phlobatannin, and glucosidal tannins.
The stem yielded gutta, dulcitol and proanthocyanidin consisting of dimer of leucopelargonidin.
Dosage Root—50—lOO ml decoction. (CCRAS.)
Salacia macrosperma Wight.
Family Hippocrateaceae; Celastraceae.
Habitat The Western Ghats, from Konkan southwards.
Folk Lendaphala (Maharashtra), Anakoranti (Kerala).
Action Root—decoction is given after parturition. Leaves—applied to eczema.
A decoction of the roots of S. grandiflora Kurz, synonymS. longifolia Hook. (the Andamans) and S. macrophylla Blume, synonym S. flavescens Kurz and S. ovalis M. Laws. (Konkan and the Andamans) is
