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| Latin Names |
English Names |
Sanskrit Name |
Hindi Name |
Acacia nilotica
Delile. (Sub species
indica (Benth.) Brenan
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A. arabica Willd. var. indica Benth.
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Indian Gum
Arabic
Tree, Black Babool
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Babbula |
Babul |
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| History |
This tree is
the "babbula" of Sanskrit writers, who mention the use of young
leaves and pods as an astringent. The bark is used as a substitute
for oak in government hospitals in India. The gum is used as
a substitute for Gum Arabica. It is indigenous to the plains
of Andhra Pradesh and Maharastra in India.
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| Habitat |
It grows throughout
the drier parts of India.
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| Morphology
Description (Habit) |
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It is a moderate-sized, almost evergreen tree with a short trunk,
and a spreading crown. The bark is dark brown to almost black, longitudinally
fissured or deeply cracked. Leaves are 2-pinnate and the main rachis
has glands. Stipular spines are variable. Leaflets are subsessile
and glabrous. Flowers golden-yellow, fragrant, crowded in long-stalked
globose heads, forming auxiliary clusters of 2-5 heads. Pods are
stalked, flat, compressed 7.5-15.0 cm in length and contracted between
the circular seeds. Three subspecies are recognized in India.
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| Principal
Constituents |
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It contains gallic acid, m-digallic acid,(+)-catechin, chlorogenic
acid, gallolyated flavan-3,4-diol and robidandiol (7,3',4'5',-tetrahydroxyflavan-3,4-diol)1.
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| Pharmacology |
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It has spasmogenic, vasoconstrictor2, anti-hypertensive,
antispasmodic3, anti-inflammatory4 and anti-platelet
aggregatory activity5.
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| Toxicology |
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A. nilotica, at 2% and 8% levels, has a low toxicity potential6.
In a survey of potentially allergenic plants in Pondicherry, it
was reported likely to cause pollen allergy7.
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| Indications |
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It is astringent, demulcent, aphrodisiac, tonic and antipyretic.
It is used in conditions of bleeding gums, mouth ulcers and genitourinary
disorders.
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| Product
Range |
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Evecare (MenstriCare), Dental Cream, Diarex Vet.
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| References |
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AHEAD CD, CSIR, New Delhi.
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Amos, S. et. al., 1999, Phytother. Res., Vol. 13(8)
pp.683-685.
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Gilani, A.H. et. al., 1999, Phytother, Res., Vol. 3(8),
pp. 665-669.
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Dafallah, A.A., et. al., 1996, Am. J. Chin. Med., Vol.
24, pp. 263-269.
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Shah, B. H. et. al., 1997, Gen. Pharmacol. V. 29(2),
pp. 251-255.
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Al-Mustafa Z. H. and Dafallah A.A., 2000, A study on the toxicology
of Acacia nilotica, Am. J. Chin. Med. Vo. 28(1): pp. 123-129.
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Anonymous, 1998, Wealth Asia CD-ROM, CSIR, New Delhi.
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