English Kadam.
Ayurvedic Kadamba, Priyaka, Vrtta-pushpa, Nipa, Halipriya.
Kadambaka is equated with Adina cordifolia.
Siddha/Tamil Venkadambu, Veilai Kadambam.
Action Stembark—febrifugal, antidiuretic, anthelmintic, hypoglycaemic. Fruit—cooling; anticatarrhal, blood purifier, analgesic.
Flowers and root—abortifacient.
Leaves—astringent. A decoction is used for gargling in stomatitis and aphthae.
Along with other therapeutic applications, The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India indicates the use of dried stem- bark in disorders of female genital tract and bleeding disorders.
The dried bark contains alkaloids, steroids, reducing sugars and also tannins (4.61%). The ether-soluble aLkaloid of the bark shows antibacterial activity.
Dosage Stembark—0.5—1.5 g powder. (API Vol. II.)
Antiaris toxicaria Lesch.
Family Moraceae.
Habitat Western Ghats from Konkan southwards to Trivandrum, up to 600 m.
English Sacking tree, Upas tree. Ayurvedic VaLkala vrksha.
Siddha/Tamil Arantheili, Mara-uri, Nettavil.
Folk Jangali Lakuch, Jasund, Chaandakudaa.
Action Seed—febrifuge, antidysenteric (in minute doses). Latex— circulatory stimulant (in minute doses.)
The latex contains a series of poisonous cardenolides, of which alpha- and/or beta-antiarin are the main components. The total amount of crystalline cardiac glycosides in the latex
56 Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall.) Parker.
ranges from 0.1 to 2.5%; aipha-antiarin from 0.0 to 1.38% and beta-antiarin from 0.075 to 1.44%. Antiarins are said to act on the heart more powerfully than digitalin. Beta-antiarin is more potent than alpha-antiarin.
Latex, in small quantities, is a mild cardiac and circulatory stimulant, whereas in large quantities it acts as a myocardial poison. It stimulates intestinal and uterine contractions.
As many as 34 Kedde-positive substances were reported in the seed sample from Indonesia. The latex sample showed the presence of 29 Keddepositive substances.
