Medicinal herbs of Chhattisgarh, India having less known traditional uses. XVII. Kaitha (Feronia elephantum, family : Rutaceae)
Medicinal herbs of Chhattisgarh, India having less known traditional uses.
XVII. Kaitha (Feronia elephantum, family : Rutaceae)
http://www.pankajoudhia.com/RA1.pdf
Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia © 2001,2002,2003
Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved Kaitha, Wood Apple or Elephant Apple in English, is a tree distributed throughout the country. In Chhattisgarh, this tree is presence since very long time. Like other herbs, Kaitha rich patches are present in different parts of Chhattisgarh. The villages situated in this Kaitha rich patches have been named on this herb. Although at present, most of the villages named on Kaitha are not rich in Kaitha trees but still the traditional healers and natives are aware of different traditional medicinal uses of Kaitha. Along with villages rich in Kaitha, this tree is also present in almost every parts of Chhattisgarh. The gum obtained from trunk and branches, is used as substitute for gum-Arabic. This use provides this herb special position in the list of non-wood forest produces of Chhattisgarh. As the basic source of gum-Arabic is available in plenty, Kaitha is not among the products having routine demand. It is used as adulterant. The wood is used for making walking sticks but for this use Kaitha is not sent to other states. The natives are aware of its presence and they use its delicious fruits. The farmers specially the paddy farmers of Durg region informed me that the presence of this tree in bunds (med), helps in reducing the rat population. This is common observation, according to them, that the fields having Kaitha in periphery remain free from rat population. This effect of Kaitha on rat population has yet not been reported. This is a matter of scientific investigation. One or two trees can serve the purpose successfully. I am conducting systematic research to evaluate the efficacies of different parts of Kaitha against rat, with the help of farmers. The tional healers of Chhattisgarh use different parts of Kaitha in treatment of many common diseases, alone or in combination wi other herbs. In present article, I am describing the traditional uses of Kaitha, I have noted through Ethnobotanical surveys. At first I am describing its botany and reported medicinal uses. According to reference literatures, Kaitha is a small deciduous spiny tree. Bark dark grey or nearly black, wrinkled and with longitudinal furrows. Leaves smelling of ani seeds. Leaflets 5-7, cuneate or obovate, cuneate at tip. Flowers pale green, stained with red, in racemes or panicled. Fruits globose, 5-8 cm, with rough-grayish woody rind and white sour pulp. Flowering time February-May and fruiting October. In other states of India, Kaitha (F. elephantum syn. F. limonia syn. Schinus limonia) is under cultivation as fruit crop. The heavy natural population of Kaitha in Chhattisgarh, clearly indicates that the commercial cultivation can be done in Chhattisgarh conditions. Unfortunately, Kaitha is not in the list of fruit crops, the regional research organizations are promoting. The natural variations of this herb in different parts of Chhattisgarh are valuable for future breeding programmes to develop suitable varieties for local needs and conditions. As the population is decreasing, due to urbanization and human population pressure, it is a need of the day, to start the collection of natural variants without loosing any time. During forest visits with the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh, specialized in use of Kaitha as medicinal plant, I noted that by specific characters of trees, they are able to identify the most potential tree. They prefer the potential tree for the collection of parts. I personally feel that from the vast experiences of these healers, the plant reeders can learn a lot. As medicine, leaves, fruits and seeds of Kaitha are used most frequently. According to Ayurveda Kaitha fruit is sour, acrid, difficult to digest, refrigerant, aphrodisiac, alexipharmic and cures cough, dysentery, heart diseases, vomiting, blood impurities, fatigue, thirst, hiccup, throat problems, asthma, consumption, tumours, leucorrhoea etc. Seeds are anti dote to poison. According to Unani system of medicine, fruit is sour, tonic to heart, liver and lungs. Pulp is good for stomatitis and sore-throat. It is also useful in biliousness. Leaves are very astringent. Its Sanskrit name Kapipriya and English name Monkey fruit, clearly indicates that the monkeys are fond of Kaitha fruits. The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh believe that monkeys are aware of its unique medicinal uses as they have observed that these creatures use it at specific occasions. This is interesting information. When the communication will start with the monkeys with the help of modern science, I promise you that I will be the first to interact with the traditional healers of monkeys to confirm these observations. Till that time we have to wait. The leading pharmaceutical companies of India, prepare herbal powder using Kaitha, and recommended it for the treatment of dysentery and diarrhoea. Its brand name is Kapittashtaka Churna. As mentioned early, the presence of Kaitha in bunds helps in reducing rat population, the use of Kaitha seed oil as antidote to rat poison, support this fact that there is some relation between Kaitha and rat population. The traditional healers apply the oil externally in affected parts. The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh use Kaitha leaves and fruit pulp as medicine, mostly. The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh plains, use it in treatment of gynaecological disorders. In treatment of dysmenorrhoea, the young leaves of Kaitha and Bans (Bamboo) are mixed in equal proportion and with honey (Shahad), given t the patients. The traditional healers of other parts are also aware of this use but they mix Kaitha and Bans leaves in different proportions. The juice of young leaves with cow milk is used in treatment of Pelea (Jaundice). As it is hard to get young leaves round the year, the healers collect the leaves during season and store it for future use. Instead of long term storage, they prefer mixing of juice in cow milk. This combination is kept as such for future use. The healers informed me that it is one of the promising uses. In case of sever asthmatic attack, the healers of Bagbahera region, mix the juice of leaves with honey and Pipal leaf juice and give it to the patients for immediate relief. In case of indigestion, the natives use fresh fruit pulp with sugar. The detailed Ethnobotanical surveys in Kaitha rich villages are in progress. I am confident that I will get more valuable information through these surveys. Thank you very much for reading the article.
http://www.pankajoudhia.com/RA1.pdf
Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia © 2001,2002,2003
Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved Kaitha, Wood Apple or Elephant Apple in English, is a tree distributed throughout the country. In Chhattisgarh, this tree is presence since very long time. Like other herbs, Kaitha rich patches are present in different parts of Chhattisgarh. The villages situated in this Kaitha rich patches have been named on this herb. Although at present, most of the villages named on Kaitha are not rich in Kaitha trees but still the traditional healers and natives are aware of different traditional medicinal uses of Kaitha. Along with villages rich in Kaitha, this tree is also present in almost every parts of Chhattisgarh. The gum obtained from trunk and branches, is used as substitute for gum-Arabic. This use provides this herb special position in the list of non-wood forest produces of Chhattisgarh. As the basic source of gum-Arabic is available in plenty, Kaitha is not among the products having routine demand. It is used as adulterant. The wood is used for making walking sticks but for this use Kaitha is not sent to other states. The natives are aware of its presence and they use its delicious fruits. The farmers specially the paddy farmers of Durg region informed me that the presence of this tree in bunds (med), helps in reducing the rat population. This is common observation, according to them, that the fields having Kaitha in periphery remain free from rat population. This effect of Kaitha on rat population has yet not been reported. This is a matter of scientific investigation. One or two trees can serve the purpose successfully. I am conducting systematic research to evaluate the efficacies of different parts of Kaitha against rat, with the help of farmers. The tional healers of Chhattisgarh use different parts of Kaitha in treatment of many common diseases, alone or in combination wi other herbs. In present article, I am describing the traditional uses of Kaitha, I have noted through Ethnobotanical surveys. At first I am describing its botany and reported medicinal uses. According to reference literatures, Kaitha is a small deciduous spiny tree. Bark dark grey or nearly black, wrinkled and with longitudinal furrows. Leaves smelling of ani seeds. Leaflets 5-7, cuneate or obovate, cuneate at tip. Flowers pale green, stained with red, in racemes or panicled. Fruits globose, 5-8 cm, with rough-grayish woody rind and white sour pulp. Flowering time February-May and fruiting October. In other states of India, Kaitha (F. elephantum syn. F. limonia syn. Schinus limonia) is under cultivation as fruit crop. The heavy natural population of Kaitha in Chhattisgarh, clearly indicates that the commercial cultivation can be done in Chhattisgarh conditions. Unfortunately, Kaitha is not in the list of fruit crops, the regional research organizations are promoting. The natural variations of this herb in different parts of Chhattisgarh are valuable for future breeding programmes to develop suitable varieties for local needs and conditions. As the population is decreasing, due to urbanization and human population pressure, it is a need of the day, to start the collection of natural variants without loosing any time. During forest visits with the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh, specialized in use of Kaitha as medicinal plant, I noted that by specific characters of trees, they are able to identify the most potential tree. They prefer the potential tree for the collection of parts. I personally feel that from the vast experiences of these healers, the plant reeders can learn a lot. As medicine, leaves, fruits and seeds of Kaitha are used most frequently. According to Ayurveda Kaitha fruit is sour, acrid, difficult to digest, refrigerant, aphrodisiac, alexipharmic and cures cough, dysentery, heart diseases, vomiting, blood impurities, fatigue, thirst, hiccup, throat problems, asthma, consumption, tumours, leucorrhoea etc. Seeds are anti dote to poison. According to Unani system of medicine, fruit is sour, tonic to heart, liver and lungs. Pulp is good for stomatitis and sore-throat. It is also useful in biliousness. Leaves are very astringent. Its Sanskrit name Kapipriya and English name Monkey fruit, clearly indicates that the monkeys are fond of Kaitha fruits. The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh believe that monkeys are aware of its unique medicinal uses as they have observed that these creatures use it at specific occasions. This is interesting information. When the communication will start with the monkeys with the help of modern science, I promise you that I will be the first to interact with the traditional healers of monkeys to confirm these observations. Till that time we have to wait. The leading pharmaceutical companies of India, prepare herbal powder using Kaitha, and recommended it for the treatment of dysentery and diarrhoea. Its brand name is Kapittashtaka Churna. As mentioned early, the presence of Kaitha in bunds helps in reducing rat population, the use of Kaitha seed oil as antidote to rat poison, support this fact that there is some relation between Kaitha and rat population. The traditional healers apply the oil externally in affected parts. The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh use Kaitha leaves and fruit pulp as medicine, mostly. The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh plains, use it in treatment of gynaecological disorders. In treatment of dysmenorrhoea, the young leaves of Kaitha and Bans (Bamboo) are mixed in equal proportion and with honey (Shahad), given t the patients. The traditional healers of other parts are also aware of this use but they mix Kaitha and Bans leaves in different proportions. The juice of young leaves with cow milk is used in treatment of Pelea (Jaundice). As it is hard to get young leaves round the year, the healers collect the leaves during season and store it for future use. Instead of long term storage, they prefer mixing of juice in cow milk. This combination is kept as such for future use. The healers informed me that it is one of the promising uses. In case of sever asthmatic attack, the healers of Bagbahera region, mix the juice of leaves with honey and Pipal leaf juice and give it to the patients for immediate relief. In case of indigestion, the natives use fresh fruit pulp with sugar. The detailed Ethnobotanical surveys in Kaitha rich villages are in progress. I am confident that I will get more valuable information through these surveys. Thank you very much for reading the article.
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