Benth.Family: Mimosaceae.
Habitat: Cultivated throughout the plains of India.
English: Minila Tamarind, Madras Thorn, Quamachil.Siddha/Tamil: Karapilly, Kodukkaa Puli.Folk: Vilaayati Imli, Dakhini Babool.Action: Bark—astringent, febrifuge, antidysenteric. Stem-bark—spasmolytic. Seeds—anti-inflammatory.
The leaves contain alpha-spinaste- rol; its beta-D-glucoside, octacosanol, kaempferol, its 3-rhamnoside, behenic and lignoceric acids. An insulin-like principle has also been reported in the leaves.Seeds gave kaempferol, quercetin and a saponin consisting of a mixture of oleanolic and echinocystic acid gly- cosides. Lecithin is also reported from seeds.The seed exhibited haemolytic agglutinating reaction with human blood. Saponins from seeds show spermicidal activity.The bark contains tannins (up to 37%) of a catechol type; non-tans 1015%; 1.5% of pectin.
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