the fruit possesses bile-stimulating activity. Alcoholic extract, 30 mg/kg does not affect
blood pressure and respiration, but a higher dose of 60 mg/kg produces a fall in blood
pressure. Furit has anticancerous and flower has spermicidal activity. Bark is mild diuretic.
Fruit is astringent, antidropsical, antileprotic, antiinflammatory, antidiarrhoeal, antibilious,
stomachic, antiasthmatic, tonic, anticephalgic, bechic, anthelmintic and attenuant. Kernel is
narcotic. Semi-ripe fruit is purgative. Gum is demulcent (Husain et al, 1992)
4) T. bialata steud.
White Chugalam or silver grey wood is a common tree of Andaman Islands. Its bark
is used as a cardiac stimulant.
5) T. Catappa Linn.
San: Grahadruma; Hin: Badam; Ben: Bangla Badam: Tam: Natuvdom, Vadhamkottai; Tel:
Vedam, Voda Movettilla; Mar: Jangli Badama, Nat Badam.
Indian Almond or Tropical Almond is a popular tree cultivated throughout the
warmer parts of India including Andaman Islands and other adjacent island. Oil from the
kernel is a substitute for almond oil. The leaf is used in scabies and colic. Husk and
endocarp contain tannins and pentosans. Oil from kernel contains oleic, linoleic, palmitic
and stearic acids. Heart wood and stem bark contains β-sitosterol and its palmitate.
Heartwood in addition contains terminolic acid and triterpenic methyl esters. The aerial part
of the plant is diuretic. The bark is astringent, mild diuretic, cardiotonic and antidysenteric.
Leaf is sudorific, antirheumatic, antileprotic and anticephalalgic.
6) T. Coriacea (Roxb.) syn. T. tomentosa (Roxb. ex. DC.) W. & A. var.
coriacea (Roxb.) C. B. Clarke
Tam: Anaimikkuvam, Sadagam; Kan: Banapu; Tel: Tani.
Leathery Murdah is a tree commonly used as a cardiac stimulant. It is widely
distributed in the drier and warmer parts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu upto 1350 m and
in Central India. Its bark is mainly used as a cardiac stimulant and in atonic diarrhoea and
callous ulcer. It is also CVS active.
7) T. myriocarpa Heurck. & Muell. Arg.
Ben: Panisaj; Ass: Hollock, Jhalna.
Hollock is a tree of the Himalayas widely distributed from Nepal to Arunachal
Pradesh and in Assam at 1000 m. The bark is cardiac stimulant and mild diuretic. Bark give
β-sitosterol, fructose and 4,4’,5,5’,6,6’ - hexadydroxy diphenic acid dilactone. Bark also
contains tannis - ellagic, gallic, chebulinic and chebulagic acids.
8) T. Pallida Brandis.
Tam: Vellai Kadukkay; Tel: Tella Karaka, Velama Karka.
The plant is distributed throughout south India, upto 600m. Its bark is a mild diuretic.
9) T. Paniculata Roth.
Mal: Marutu, Pe Marutu, Ven Marutu; Tam: Pei Kadukai, Ven Maruthu, Ilai Kadukkay,
Marudu, Pullatti; Tel: Nimiri, Pulamaddi, Putamanu, Pulanallamanu; Kan: Maruva, Matti.
Flowering Murdah is a tree which is widely used in opium poisoning. It is distributed
in the Western and Eastern Ghats, upto 1200m. The bark is used in parotitis and flowers in
opium poisioning. Heart wood give 3, 3’- 0 - di-methylellagic acid and 3,4,3’0-trimethyl
flavellagic acid, β-sitosterol, an uncharacterized triterpene carboxylic acid; a glycoside -
3,3’ di- 0 - methyl ellagic acid - 4 - monoglucoside and 0 - penta methyl flavellogic acid. The
stem bark is anticancerous, diuretic, cardiotonic CVS active and shows antagonism of
amphetamine hyperactivity. Flower is anticholerin (Husain et al, 1992)