KUTAJ

Botanical Source : Holarrhena antidysentrica Wall.

Family    : Apocynaeceae

Common Names

Sans.    :    Kutaja, Kalinga

Hindi    :    Kurchi, Karra, Kuar

Beng.    :    Kurchi

Mar.    :    Kodaga

Guj.    :    Dhowda

Tel.    :    Pala

Tam.    :    Veppalei, Indrabam

Oriya    :    Kherwa, Pitakorwa

Mal.    :    Kodagapala

Punj.    :    Keor, Kewa

Sanskrit Synonyms

• Girimallika
  
• Vatsak
  
• Vrukshak
  
• Kaling
  
• Indravriksha
  

Plant Description

Habit

A deciduous, small tree, 30-40 ft. high upto 4 ft. girth

Habitat

Occurring almost through out India, upto an attitude of 4,000m ft. often in deciduous forests and open waste lands. Abundant in sub Himalayan tract.

Leaves

Opposite, subsessile, elliptic or ovate oblong, 10-20 x 5-11.5 cm. extipulate, glabrous, obtusely acuminate, pubescent, nerves 10-14 pairs.

Flowers

White in terminal corymbos cymes, inodorous, complete, bisexual, bracteatae. Calyx- Gamosepalous; Corolla Gamopetalous, three or four times the length of calyx mouth naked; Androecium
- 5 stamens, free, epipetalous, inserted at the base of the corolla tube; Gynoecium
- superior, bicarpellary, apocarpus.

Fruit

Etaerio of follicles, follicles 14- 40 cms long, 0.6 - 0.8 cms in diameter, cylindrical, brownish green in colour with white, pin points spots.

Seeds

Light brown, 0.8 cm - 1 cm long compressed and linear with a coma at silky brown hairs on the apex. They are bitter in taste and are known by the name "Indrajava" in Ayurvedic Medicine.

Roots

Roots are linear, cylindrical, chocolate brown in colour and about 0.6 - 2.5 cm in thickness.

Ayurvedic properties

Rasa : Tikta, Katu

Guna : Laghu, Ruskha

Veerya : Sheeta

Vipaka : Katu

Karma     : Dipana, Tridoshshamak, Sangrahi

Chemical Constituents

It mainly contains alkaloids. Norconessine, eonimine, holarricine, isoconessimine.It also contains fats, tannin and resin.

Part Used: Stem bark, root bark, leaves, seeds and flowers.

Dose    

3- 6 gms (Powder),

20-30 ml (Decoction)

USES

Bark: Anthelmintic, cures dysentery, diarrhea, fever, piles, leprosy, skin diseases, spleen diseases.

Flowers: Cooling, appetizer, cure blood diseases, leucoderma.

Seeds: Appetiser, astringent to bowels, cure pains, leprosy, anti diabetic, skin diseases, bleeding piles, burning sensation.

Leaves: Astringent, galactagogue, remove muscular pain, tonic, ulcers, wounds, lumbago, good in chronic bronchitis.

Physicochemical Parameters

The limit of physicochemical parameters viz.Total ash, Acid insoluble ash, Alcohol soluble extractive, Water soluble extractive are prescribed in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India for identity, purity and strength.

Important formulations

Kutajaarist, Kutajaavleha,

Kutajghanvati,

Pancha Nimba Churna,

Palaasabeejaadi Churna,

Nyagrodhaadi churna,

Asanaadi Ghanvati.