Chyluria Health Dictionary

(Hassk.) D. Chatterjee.

Synonym: S. Chelonoides (Linn. f.) DC. (now S. Colais). S. tetragonum A. DC.

Family: .

Habitat: Throughout India, especially in the moist regions.

English: Trumpet Flower, Yellow Snake tree.

Ayurvedic: Paatalaa, Paatali, Paata- lai, Krishna-vrantaa, Madhu-duuti,

Kaama-duuti, Ativallabhaa, Taam- rapushpi, Kuberaakshi. Amoghaa, Kumbhipushpi, Ambuvaasini. Copper-red-flowered var., known as Taamrapushpi, is equated with S. suaveolens (Paatalaa) and the white- flowered one with S. chelenoides. (Paatalai).

Siddha/Tamil: Paadiri.

Action: The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India recommends the root of Paatalaa in lipid disorders; the stem bark in oedema and retention of urine.

The white-flowered var. purifies blood, increases appetite and is prescribed for vomiting, hiccough, thirst, oedema and inflammatory chest diseases.

The copper-red-flowered var. is prescribed in difficult breathing, vomiting, oedema, flatus and high fever.

Ethanolic extract of the plant showed hypoglycaemic and anticancer activity experimentally.

A decoction of S. personatum root is prescribed for asthma and cough; of the leaves in chronic dyspepsia. A decoction of the root and leaves is credited with antipyretic properties. The bark exhibited antibacterial and antitubercular properties.

A decoction of S. suaveolens roots is prescribed for intermittent and puerperal fevers, inflammatory affections of the chest. Extracts of the plant contain lapachol.

The leaves of S. chelonoides contain a flavone, stereolensin. The bark gave an iridoid glycoside; the root bark gave n-triacontanol and beta- sitosterol; the root heartwood gave la- pachol, dehydro-alpha-lapachone and dehydrotectol. Ceryl alcohol, palmitic, stearic and oleic acids were isolated from the root. Lapachol exhibited cy- totoxic activity.

Dosage: Stem bark (white-flowered var.)—3-6 g powder. (API, Vol. IV.) Root (red-flowered var.)—5-10 g powder. (API, Vol. III.) more effective. Crude extract is used for filaria.

The Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, has developed an an- tifilarial drug from the crude extract of stem. The stem bark is reported to cure filarial lymphangitis, lym- phoedema, chyluria caused by filaria- sis.

Dosage: Stem bark—1-3 g powder. (API, Vol. III.)... stereospermum personatum

n. a genus of white threadlike parasitic worms (see filaria) that live in the lymphatic vessels. W. bancrofti is a tropical and subtropical species that causes *elephantiasis, lymphangitis, and chyluria. The immature forms concentrate in the lungs during the day. At night they become more numerous in the blood vessels of the skin, from which they are taken up by blood-sucking mosquitoes, acting as carriers of the diseases they cause.... wuchereria