Avicennia officinalis Health Dictionary

Linn.

Synonym: A. alba Blume

Family: Verbenaceae; Avicenniaceae.

Habitat: A tree occurring in salt marshes and tidal creeks.

English: White mangrove.

Ayurvedic: Tuvara.

Siddha/Tamil: Kandal.

Folk: Tivaria (Gujarat), Upattam (Tamil Nadu).

Action: Stem/bark—astringent. Pulp of unripe fruit—used for healing skin lesions of smallpox; fruits and immature seeds, used as cicatrizant of abscesses and ulcers.

The bark contains 5% tannin, tri- acontanol and triterpenoids. Kernels contain lapachol, which possesses an- titumour activity. Aerial parts yield beta-sitosterol, friedelin, lupenone, lu- peol, betulinic and ursolic acids.