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| Latin Name |
English Names |
Sanskrit Names |
Hindi Names |
Holarrhena antidysenterica
(Linn) Wall. (Apocynaceae)
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Connessi Bark,
Coneru,
Tellicherry Bark |
Kutaja, Vatsaka |
Kura, Kora,
Kureya, Kurchi |
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| History |
The connessi tree is popular for its numerous medicinal properties. Considered to be one of the most valuable medicinal products of India , finding mention in Hindu mythology, the seeds and bark of the tree have been used in the British Materia Medica for a long time. The tree forms part of several indigenous systems of medicines, where is has been used in the treatment of dysentery and diarrhea. Several Indian tribes have used the plant in ailments like anemia, epilepsy, stomach pain and cholera. In the Ayurvedic system of medicine, Kurchi is used as an antihelminthic, for diarrhoea and skin diseases.
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| Habitat |
It grows throughout
India up to an altitude of 4,000 ft. It is especially abundant in
the sub-Himalayan tract.
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| Morphology
Description (Habit) |
H.antidysenterica
is a deciduous shrub or small tree. The bark is rather rough, pale
brownish or greyish; the leaves are opposite, subsessile, elliptic
or ovate-oblong, membranous; the flowers are white, in terminal corymbose
cymes; the follicles, divaricate, cylindric and usually white spotted;
the seeds are light brown.
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| Principal
Constituents |
The principal alkaloid
of kurchi is conessine. The other alkaloids reported to be present
in the bark are: conamine, conkurchine, connessimine, kurchine, conarrhinine,
holarrhinene and isoconcessimine.
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| Pharmacology |
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Various fractions of H.antidysenterica
showed promising activity against experimental amoebiasis in rats
and hamsters1. The fruit extract (50% ethanolic) showed
antiprotozoal effect against Ent. histolytica strain STA,
Trypanosoma evansi; anticancer effect against human epidrmoid
carcinoma of the nasopharynx in tissue culture and hypoglycemic
activity in rats2.
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| Clinical
Studies |
Clinical
tests with connessine on patients with intestinal and hepatic amebiasis
have been found to give results, comparable to those obtained with
emetine3
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| Toxicity |
Use of
connesine must, however, be closely supervised, as in some cases it
can produce neurological troubles like Vertigo, sleeplessness, agitation,
anxiety and delirium4
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| Indications |
The bark has astringent,
antidysenteric, anthelmintic, stomachic, febrifugal and tonic properties.
It is used in the treatment of amebic dysentery and diarrhea.
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| Product
Range |
Diarex (DiarCare),
Diarex PFS, Diarex Vet.
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| References |
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- Dutta, N. K and Iyer, S. N., J. Ind. Med. Assoc., 1968, 50,
349.
- Dhar, M. L, et. al., Ind. J. Exp. Biol., 1968,
6, 232.
- Signier, F. et. al., 1949. Medicine Tropicale,
9, 99-109, Tanguy, et. al., 1948, ibid, 8,
12-31.
- Oliver, B.B. (1986). Medicinal Plants in Tropical West Africa,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 163.
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