The bark contains C-glucoside, bergenin.
The flowers, leaves and bark contain tannins—24.1, 12—20 and 20—27% respectively. Dimeric hydrolyzable tannins—woodfordins A, B and C, and trimeric tannins woodfordin D and oenothein A and B have been isoalted from dried flowers. A new tannin monomer, isoschimawalin A and five oligomers—woodfordin E, F, G, H and I, have also been isoalted.
Oenothein A and B exhibited remarkable host-mediated antitumour activity. Woodfordin C and D also showed antitumour activity. Woodfordin C showed inhibitory activity toward DNA topoisomerase II.
Dosage Flower—3—6 g powder. (API, Vol. I.)
Wrightia tinctoria R. Br.
Family Apocynaceae.
Habitat A tree, found in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
English Pala Indigo Plant.
Ayurvedic Shveta Kutaja. (whiteflowered), Punkutaja, Indrayava (seeds).
Unani Inderjao Shireen.
Siddha/Tamil Irum-paalai, Nilapaalai.
Action Bark—antidysenteric. Also used in piles and skin diseases.
Seeds—antidysenteric, astringent, febrifuge, anthelmintic. Bark and seeds—prescribed in flatulence and bilious affections.
Pods, without seeds, contain the cycloartanes, cycloartenone and cycloeucalenol along with alpha- and beta-amyrin, beta-sitosterol, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid and the terpene, wrightial. The leaves contain betaamyrin. Stem bark gave beta-amyrin, beta-sitosterol and lupeol.
The seeds, leaves and roots have been shown to contain an indigo- yielding glucoside.
The flowers gave 3-0-rhamnogluco- side which exhibited significant anti- inflammatory activity in carrageenaninduced hind paw oedema.
The bark is commonly used as an adulterant of Kurchi Bark (obtained from Holarrhena antidysenterica).
