Terminalia chebula Retz.
Family Combretaceae.
Habitat Abundant in Northern India. Also occurs in the forests of Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, especially in Konkan.
English Chebulic Myrobalan, Black Myrobalan.
Ayurvedic Haritaki, Kaayasthaa, Pathyaa, Shreyasi, Shivaa. (Jivanti,
Puutanaa, Vijayaa, Abhayaa, Rohini, Chetaki, Amritaa—according to
some scholars, these represent seven varieties of Haritaki; now used as synonyms.)
Unani Harad, Halelaa siyaah,
Halelaa zard, Halelaa Kaabuli (varieties).
Siddha/Tamil Kadukkai.
Action Gentle purgative, astringent (unripe fruits are more purgative, ripe ones are more astringent;
sennoside A and anthraquinone glycoside is laxative, tannins are
astringent), stomachic, antibilious, alterative. Used in prescriptions for treating flatulence, constipation, diarrhoea, dysentery, cyst, digestive disorders, vomiting, enlarged liver and spleen, cough and bronchial
asthma, and for metabolic harmony.
Bark—diuretic.
The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of In dia, along with other therapeutic applications, indicated the use of powder of mature fruits in intermittent fevers, chronic fevers, anaemia and polyuria.
The fruits of T chebula are used in combination with Emblica officinalis and T. bellirica (under the name Triphalaa) in the treatment of liver and kidney dysfunctions. The main purgative ingredient of Triphalaa is T chebula (the purgative principle is in the pericarp of the fruit).
Shikimic, gallic, triacontanoic and palmitic acids, beta-sitosterol, daucosterol, triethyl ester of chebulic acid and ethyl ester of gallic acid; a new ellagitannin, terchebulin, along with punicalagin and teaflavin A have been iso- lated from the fruits. A new triterpene, chebupentol, and arjungenin, terminoic acid and arjunolic acid were also isolated from the fruit.
Antioxidant constituents of the plant, phloroglucinol and pyrogallol have been isolated along with ferulic, vanillic, p-coumaric and caffeic acids. Ether extract showed higher antioxidant activity than BHA and BHT, Acid esters present in phenolic fraction of extract, were found most effective.
Dosage Pericarp of mature fruit—5—10 g powder.
