Habitat: North-eastern India.
Siddha/Tamil: Odangod.Folk: Kazurati, Tirruli (Maharashtra), Atari-lataa, Kathapahaariaa, Lokhandi (Bengal).Action: Root bark—used for the treatment of respiratory troubles. Stem—febrifuge. Leaves—scorched and given to women during confinement. Powdered leaves and roots are applied to sores and wounds.
The roots contain dulcitol. The root bark contains an antibiotic principle, pristimerin (0.1%) which shows considered in vitro activity against several Gram-positive cocci, both haemolyt- ic and non-haemolytic. Pristimerin also inhibits in vitro growth of different strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Clinical trials have shown that pristimerin is effective in the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the naso-pharyngeal mucosa resulting from common cold and influenzal infections. It is found useful as an adjunct to the common antibiotic therapy of respiratory inflammations of both bacterial and viral origin, and is reported to possess antitumour properties, but its high toxicity precludes its use as a cancero-static agent.