Erythrina stricta Health Dictionary

Erythrina Stricta: From 1 Different Sources


Roxb.

Family: Papilionaceae; Fabaceae.

Habitat: Assam, Manipur, West Bengal and South India.

Ayurvedic: Muraa (controversial).

Siddha/Tamil: Mullu-murukku.

Action: Bark—antibilious, an- tirheumatic, febrifuge, antiasth- matic, antiepileptic, antileprotic. Flowers—antidote to poison. In Assam, the juice of the root bark is given to children in threadworm infection.

The plant gave tetracyclic alkaloids— (+)-erythraline and (+)-erythrinine.
Health Source: Indian Medicinal Plants
Author: Health Dictionary

Erythrina Indica

Lam.

Synonym: E. variegata Linn. var. orientalis (Linn.) Merril.

Family: Papilionaceae; Fabaceae.

Habitat: Grown as an ornamental.

English: Indian Coral tree.

Ayurvedic: Paaribhadra, Paarib- hadraka, Paarijaataka, Mandaara, Dadap. Kantaki-palaasha, Kant- kimshuka, Raktapushpa; Nimba- taru. (Erythrina suberosa Roxb. is also equated with Paaribhadra.)

Siddha/Tamil: Kaliyanamurukkan.

Folk: Farhad.

Action: Leaf—cathartic, diuretic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory. Applied externally for dispersing venereal buboes. Bark—antibilious, anthelmintic, febrifuge, astringent, expectorant. (E. variegata is an adulterant to the Ayurvedic drug Rohitaka.) Different parts of the plant are used as nervine sedative, antiepileptic, astringent, antiasthmatic and antiseptic. Bark is used in liver ailments, fever and rheumatism.

A number of tetracyclic alkaloids have been isolated from the plant.

The alkaloids showed a muscle relaxant activity and increased the sedative effects of hexabarbital. The alkaloids extracted from the leaves are reported to have anti-inflammatory activity. Bark alkaloids are neuromus- cular blocking, smooth muscle relaxant, CNS depressant, hydrocholeretic and anticonvulsant. The bark contains 0.05% alkaloids.

The root extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity in vitro against Staphy- lococcus aureus and Mycobacterium smegmatis.

The seeds of many of the species of Erythrina contain alkaloids with curare-like activity. Clinical trials on biologically standardized beta-ery- throidine hydrochloride and dihydro- beta-erythroidine hydrochloride have shown promising results in the treatment of conditions involving certain types of muscular rigidity.

Dosage: Stem bark—6-12 g powder; 12-24 g for decoction. (API Vol. II.)... erythrina indica



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