Madhuca longifolia (KOEN.) MACLER

Family : Sapotaceae

Synonym(s) :Bassia longifolia Koen., Madhuca indica

English Name : Butter Tree

Origin : India

Description

A large deciduous tree 12 to 15 m tall. Leaf clustered in the ends, broadly elliptic, coriaceous, crimson and pubescent, glabrous, apex acuminate, base rounded; petioles 2 to 4 cm long, stipules 0.6 to 1.0 cm long, pubescent. Flowers numerous, scented, pubescent, calyx 1.6 cm long, sepals elliptic, ovate to lanceolate, corolla creamy white, tube 8 mm long. Fruits berry ovoid or subglobose, 2.5 to 5.0 cm long, greenish turns yellow when ripe. Seeds 1 to 4, brown, oblong-ellipsoid shiny.

Parts Used : Flower, bark, seed, leaf, fruit and aerial part.

Herb Effects

Fresh juice of the plant is alterative, while the spirit distilled from the flowers is powerful stimulant, astringent, tonic and appetiser. Flowers are cooling demulcent, expectorant, tonic nutritive and stimulant, antidiabetic and hypotensive (bark); antibacterial (aerial part); spermicide (seed); astringent (bark and flower).

Active Ingredients

Triterpenoids (fruit); saponins, sapogenin and a fatty oil (seed); beta-carotene and sitosterol (leaf).

Medicinal Use

In ulcers (root bark); as a tonic (flower and bark); in diabetes, in itching, bleeding gums, ulcers, rheumatism, diabetes and as an astringent (bark); in piles (flowers); for skin diseases (seed oil); as a poultice for eczema (leaves).

Contraindication

Liquor obtained from the flowers by distillation is known to cause gastric irritation in large doses.

Reference