Miers.Synonym: J. calumba Miers.Family: Menispermaceae.
Habitat: Indigenous to south-east tropical Africa. Imported into India.
English: Calumba, Colombo.Ayurvedic: Kalambaka. (Coscinium fenestratum Colebr., known as False calumba, is used as a substitute for J. palmata.)Siddha/Tamil: Kolumbu.
Action: Root—bitter tonic without astringency, carminative, gastric tonic, antiflatulent, hyptotensive, orexigenic, uterine stimulant, sedative. Used in anorexia, poor digestion, hypochlorhydria, amoebic dysentery and menstrual disorders. Antifungal.
Key application: As appetite stimulant. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.)The root gave isoquinoline alkaloids 2-3%; palmatine, jaterorrhizine and its dimer bis-jateorrhizine, columbamine; bitters (including chasmanthin and palmanin). Volatile oil contains thymol.The alkaloid jateorrhizine is sedative, hypotensive. Palmatine is a uterine stimulant.As calumba contains very little volatile oil and no tannins, it is free from as- tringency which is common with other bitter herbs.The root alkaloids exhibit narcotic properties and side effects similar to morphine. It is no longer used (in Western herbal) as a digestive aid, and is rarely used as an antidiarrhoeal agent. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)... jateorhiza palmata
Constituents: volatile oil, bitter principle, isoquinoline alkaloids, calumbin. No tannin.
Action: uterine stimulant, antifungal, bitter, tonic, orexigenic, hypotensor, carminative. Similar to Goldenseal as a gastric tonic. Anti-flatulent.
Uses: weak digestion, anorexia, menstrual disorders. Hypochlorhydria – to stimulate production of stomach acids to promote appetite. Amoebic dysentery.
Preparations: Thrice daily before meals.
Infusion: 1 teaspoon to cup cold water; steep overnight; dose – half-1 cup.
Infusion Calumba Conc. BP 1948. Dose, 2-4ml.
Liquid extract, BHC Vol 1. 1:1, 25 per cent ethanol. Dose: half-2ml. Tincture Calumba BP (1948), 2-4ml.
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