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| Latin Name |
English Names |
Sanskrit Names |
Hindi Names |
Bauhinia variegata
Linn. (Caesalpiniaceae) |
Buddhist Bauhinia,
Orchid Tree,
Mountain Ebony |
Kanchanara,
Kovidara |
Kachnar,
Kaniar |
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| Habitat |
It grows throughout India,
ascending to an altitude of 1,300 m in the Himalayas.
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| Morphology
Description (Habit) |
B.variegata
is a medium-sized, deciduous tree. The bark is gray; the leaves
are sub- coriaceous and deeply cordate; the flowers are variously
coloured and occur in few- flowered, lateral corymbs; the pods
are long, hard, flat, glabrous, dehiscent and 10-15 seeded.
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| Principal
Constituents |
The seeds yield a
fatty oil, the bark yields fibre. Five flavonoids isolated from the
different organs of B.variegata were identified as quercetin, rutin,
quercetrin, apigenin and apigenin 7-O-glucoside1.
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| Pharmacology |
The alcoholic extract
of the stem bark showed CNS activity. Besides producing hypothermia
in mice, it also responded to amphetamine hyperactivity test2.
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| Indications |
The bark is astringent, tonic
and anthelmintic. It is useful in scrofula and skin diseases. It is
also used for ulcers and leprosy. A decoction of the bark is taken
for dysentery. The dried buds are used for diarrhea, dysentery and
hemorrhoids.
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| Product
Range |
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Pilex (VeinCare).
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| References |
- El-Wahab, A et. al., Herba Hung., 1987, 26(1), 27-39.
- Bhakuni et. al., Ind. J. s Biol., 1969, 6,232.
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