Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Dillenia indica L. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu. "Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian Medicinal Plants. (1918)].
Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Dillenia indica
L. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu.
"Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian
Medicinal Plants. (1918)].
Pankaj Oudhia
Introduction
Based on Ethnobotanical
surveys since year 1990 in different parts of India Pankaj Oudhia has
documented vital information about Medicinal Plants mentioned in the famous
publication by Kirtikar and Basu (1918). Through this research document Pankaj
Oudhia has tried to present original document with additional notes. For
complete paper with pictures, Interactive Tables, Video and Audio clips please
visit pankajoudhia.com
For original publication by Kirtikar and Basu (1918) please visit https://archive.org/details/indianmedicinalp01kirt
29. Dillenia
indica, Linn, h.f.br.i., i. 36 ; Roxb.
451.
Sanskrit : —
Bhavya.
Vevn. :— Chalta,
(Hind.); Chalta, hargesa (Beng.i ; Korkot
(Santal) ;
Chilta (Monghyr); Panpui (G-aro ) ; Chalita otengah,
(Assam); Rai,
oao (Uriya) ; Ramphal (Nepal); Phamsikol
(Lepcha) ;
Thapru, chauralesia (Mag.) ; Mothe karamala, moth a
karmel, karambel
(Bomb.); Mota karmal, karmbel (Mar.);
Uva (Tarn.);
LJva, pedda, kalinga (kalinga, Elliot) (Teh);
Bettakanagala,
kaddkanagula (Kan.) ; Syalita (Malay.); Honda-
para, Wampara
(Sinhalese).
Habitat :
—Tropical forests in the Western Peninsula, Behar
and Ceylon, and
the Himalaya, from Nepal to Assam. Commonly
cultivated at
Dehra and Saharanpur. Eastern Peninsula, from
Sylhet to
Singapore. Malay Peninsula and the Islands.
A very handsome
tree with fine foliage ; moderate-sized,
round-headed.
Bark cinnamon — brown. Leaves closely placed,
N. O.
DILLENIACE.E. 39
very large,
10-12 in long, oblong-lanceolate, acute, sharply
serrate,
glabrous above, finely pubescent on veins beneath ;
lateral veins
numerous, strong ; petioles If in, long, stout, deeply
channelled
above, pnlvinate at base. Flowers very large, 6-7
in. diam, on
stout subterminal pedicels. Sepals very fleshy.
Petals white,
sometimes pale-azure orbicular with a broad
base. Stamens
persistent, yellow. Carpels 15-20, coherent at
the axis. Styles
spreading like a star, white; ripe carpels
enclosed in the
greatly enlarged and thickened sepals which
are 1 in. thick
and strongly imbricate the whole forming a large
green globose
pomiform fruit, 5-6 in. diam. Actual fruit 2|-
in. diam.
Pericarp thin, indehiscent. Seeds numerous, com-
pressed with a hairy
margin.
Uses : — The
juice of the fruit, mixed with sugar and water, is
used as a
cooling beverage in fevers, and as a cough mixture.
The bark and the
leaves are astringent, and are used medicin-
ally. The fruit
is slightly laxative, but is apt to induce diarrhoea,
if too freely
indulged in. {Roxburgh, Royle, Drqry).
The fruit gives
a lather with water, says Triinen, and is used
as a soap.
[Pankaj Oudhia’s Comment: Through
Ethnobotanical surveys conducted in different parts of India since year 1990 I
have documented information about over 70,000 Traditional Herbal Formulations
in which Dillenia fruits are used as primary and secondary ingredients. In over
15000 Traditional Herbal Formulations Dillenia roots are added as tertiary
ingredient. In over 25000 Traditional Herbal Formulations Dillenia bark is used
as quinary ingredient. Please see Tables Dillen-1 to Dillen-180 for details.
Among the Traditional Healers of Cnetral India the use of Dillenia leaves is
popular in treatmenr of different types of cancer. Please see Tables Dillen-181
to Dillen-185 for details.]
Mr. T. P. Ghose
of Dehra Dun writes in the Indian Forester
for August 1914
: —
The fresh ripe
fruits were taken and the upper layers of calyces were
separated from
the inner kernels which consisted mostly of pectous matter
of a jelly-like
consistence. The kernels being rejected, the calyces were
crushed and
steeped in 90 per cent, alcohol for six months in a drum with
occasional
shaking. The alcohol was then filtered off and the residue was
pressed almost
dry, and this alcohol was added to the first and the whole
evaporated off
under reduced pressure. The alcoholic extract was finally
dried at 100° O,
for further examination.
The composition
of the calyces of the fresh ripe fruits as was follows :—
Moisture ... ...
... ... ... 86 40 per cent.
Alcoholic
extract ... ... ... ... 3'<>0 „
Water extract
... ... ... ... 0'87 „
Insolubles ...
... ••• ... ... 1023 „
ldO-0
The aqueous
extract was made after having extracted the calyces with
alcohol, which
thus represents only pectous matters, etc., left in the insoluble
tissues after
alcoholic extraction. The alcoholic ext act examined qualitatively
showed the
presence of tannin glucose, malic acid and pectous bodies. Malic
40 INDIAN
MEDICINAL PLANTS.
acid was also
identified by means of its lead salt. The composition of the
alcoholic
extract obtained as given above was as follows : —
Moisture ... ...
... ... ... 8*20
Tannin ... ...
... ... ... 1*40
Glucose ... ...
... ... ... 12*15
Malic acid ...
... ... ... ... 2*21
Petroleum ether
solubles (fats, etc.) ... ... 0*72
Albuminoids ...
... ... ... ... 0'85
Ash ... ... ...
... ... 1263
Pectous matters,
etc. ... ... ... ... 6D84
lOO'OO
The 6D84 per
cent, of pectous matters coming in the alcoholic extract is
due to the
dilution of alcohol caused by about 86 per cent, of moisture in the
fresh fruit.
Though originally soluble in dilute alcohol, these bodies became
wholly insoluble
both in water and in alcohol on anhydration. They were
examined and
found to be pectous bodies.
The chief
ingredients of the calyces of the fresh ripe fruits are tannin,
glucose and
malic acid. The percentage of these three ingredients calculated
on fresh and dry
calyces stand as below : —
On fresh
calyces. On dry calyces.
(1) Tannin ...
0'05% 0*37%
(2) Glucose ...
0-40% 2-92%
(3) Malic acid
... 0"07% 0*51%
E-documents on
Dillenia
Citation
Oudhia, Pankaj (2013).
Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Dillenia indica L. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu.
"Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian
Medicinal Plants. (1918)]. www.pankajoudhia.com
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