Akua Health Dictionary

(Roxb.) Korth.

Family: Rubiaceae.

Habitat: All over India, and up to 1,200 m in the outer Himalaya.

English: Kaim.

Ayurvedic: Giri-kadamba, Kadamba (var.).

Siddha: Chinna-Kadambu.

Action: Bark—used for muscular pain. Bark and root—febrifuge, antispasmodic.

Both indole and oxindole alkaloids have been isolated from the plant. (The composition of alkaloids varies with season and from place to place.) The main indole alkaloid reported is akuammigine and oxindole alkaloids have been identified as mitra- phylline, isomitraphylline, pteropo- dine, isopteropodine, speciophylline and uncarine F. Anthocephalus cadamba Miq. is the accepted source of Kadamba.... mitragyna parvifolia

(Linn.) Pich.

Synonym: V pubescens Urv.

Family: Apocynaceae.

Habitat: Native to Europe. Found in the Himalayas, West Bengal and Palni Hills.

English: Green Periwinkle, Greater Periwinkle.

Action: Astringent, antihaemor- rhagic, hypotensive. Used to treat menorrhagia and leucorrhoea.

The herb contains indole alkaloids; majdine, isomajdine, majoridine, aku- ammine, akuammigine, carpanaubine, irvine, reserpine, serpentine, sarpagi- ne, tetrahydroalstonine, vincamajine and vincamajoreine; and tannins.

The cytotoxic dimeric alkaloids present in Vinca rosea L., used in the treatment of certain types of cancer, have not been found in Vinca major.... vinca major