their fruits. Kacha, Ettawa, Seven Large, Mirsapuri and Deo Reo Large are varieties meant
specially for ‘Sharbat’. The plant is propagated mainly by seeds and rarely by root cuttings.
Seeds are freshly extracted from ripe fruits after removing the pulp and then dried in sun.
Seeds are soaked in water for 6 hours and sown on seed beds which are covered with rotten
straw and irrigated regularly. Seeds germinate within 15-20 days. One month old seedlings
can be transplanted into polybags which can be planted in the field after 2 months. Budded or
grafted plants as well as new saplings arising from injured roots can also be used for
planting. Grafted plants start yielding from the 4th year while the trees raised from seeds bear
fruits after 7-10 years. Planting is done in the main field with onset of monsoon in June-July at
a spacing of 6-8m. Pits of size 50cm^3 are dug. Pits are filled with a mixture of top soil and
10kg of well decomposed FYM and formed into a heap. Seedlings are transplanted in the
middle of the heap and mulched. Chemical fertilisers are not usually applied. The dose of
organic manure is increased every year till 50kg/tree of 5 years or more. Regular irrigation
and weeding are required during early stages of growth. No serious pests and diseases are
noted in the crop. Bael tree flowers during April. The flowers are aromatic with pleasant and
heavenly odour. The fruits are set and slowly develop into mature fruits. Fruits are seen from
October-March. A single tree bears 200-400 fruits each weighing 1-2 kg. Roots can be
collected from mature trees of age 10 years or more. Tree is cut down about 1m from the
ground. The underground roots are carefully dug out. Roots with the attached wood is then
marketed (Rajarajan,1997).^
Properties and activity
Bael is reported to contain a number of coumarins, alkaloids, sterols and essential
oils. Roots and fruits contain coumarins such as scoparone, scopoletin, umbelliferone,
marmesin and skimmin. Fruits, in addition, contain xanthotoxol, imperatorin and
alloimperatorin and alkaloids like aegeline and marmeline identified as N- 2 - hydroxy- 2 - [ 4 -
(3’,3’-dimethyl allyloxy) phenyl] ethyl cinnamide. β- sitosterol and its glycoside are also
present in the fruits. Roots and stem barks contain a coumarin - aegelinol. Roots also contain
psoralen, xanthotoxin, 6,7-dimethoxy coumarin, tembamide, mermin and skimmianine. Leaves
contain the alkaloids - O-(3,3-dimethyl allyl)-halfordinol, N- 2 - ethoxy-2 (4-methoxy phenyl)
ethyl cinnamide, N- 2 - methoxy- 2 - (4-3’,3’-dimethyl allyloxy) phenyl] ethyl cinnamide, N- 2 -
[ 4 - (3’,3’-dimethyl allyloxy) phenyl] ethyl cinnamide, N- 2 - hydroxy- 2 - [ 4 - (3’,3’-dimethyl
allyloxy) phenyl] ethyl cinnamide, N- 4 - methoxy steryl cinnamide and N- 2 - hydroxy- 2 - (4-
hydroxy phenyl) ethyl cinnamide. Mermesinin, rutin and β-sitosterol - β-D-glucoside are
also present in the leaves (Husain et al, 1992).
Root, bark, leaves and fruits are hypoglycaemic, astringent and febrifuge.
Root, stem and bark are antidiarrhoeal and antivenin. Leaf is antiinflammatory, expectorant,
anticatarrhal, antiasthamatic, antiulcerous and ophthalmic. Flower is emetic. Unripe fruit is
stomachic and demulcent. Ripe fruit is antigonorrhoeal, cardiotonic, restorative, laxative,
antitubercular, antidysenteric and antiscorbutic. Seed is anthelmintic and antimicrobial
(Warrier et al, 1993).