Indian Butter Tree: A Panacea for Many Ailments- juniper Publishers
Juniper Publishers- Journal of Complementary medicine
Introduction
Use of herbal medicine for cure of ailments is a
tradition from time immemorial and still it is practiced among the
community. Tribal community are dependent on forest products and they
use different parts of plants for various purposes including medicinal
use.In past decades, lot of scientific research and development is
focussed on herbalmedicine for treatment of various health challenges in
different national healthcare settings. Herbal medicine is used across
the Globe in a large scale and very often it is used along with other
drugs[1].Among theTraditional medicinepractice most commonly used
practice in developing countries isherbal medicine[2].Majority in Africa
use herbs in their day to day life to treat ailments[3].
In China, traditional herbal medicine along with
western medicine was tried to tackle SARS though the expert committee
suggestedto ensureeffectiveness of conventional Chinese medicine based
on herbs andmaintain utmost standard and quality[4].
India too has a rich heritage in terms of use of
herbs in traditional medicine especially among tribal populations
besides the research work embodied in “Charaka Samhita: wherein details
of use of medicinal plants are mentioned. India too is not lagging
behind in the field of herbal pharmacology.Out of so many medicinal
plants available in the flora of India in different terrain mahua plant
or MadhucaLongifolia(Indian butter tree) is a plant of Indian origin
which is a large to medium deciduous tree of familySapotaceae.It is an
important economic plant growing throughout the subtropical region of
the Indian subcontinent Tribes uses its different parts as food, drink,
construction of house and most important use as a medicine.
Itstremendous therapeutic potential needs to be unravelledAdvocacy and
awareness among researchers, botanists, biochemists, pharmacologists and
biotechnologistshas to be made to utilize all its potential for the
benefit of Mankind.
Active constituents present inside the different
part of the plant, determine the therapeutic value of the plant
including secondary metabolites.Saponin, is an alkaloidfound in the
leaves, and. Sapogenin which is aglucosideispresent and seeds of this
plant. Various Photochemical studies on this wonder treeascertained the
presence steroids, saponin, flavonoids and many active
ingredientsincludingnewercomponents likemadhucic acid (penta cyclic
triterpenoids), madhushazone, four new oleanane type triterpene
glycosides and madhucosides A and Bwhich have medicinal properties[5].
Traditionally its bark has been used against
diabetes, rheumatism, ulcers, bleeding and tonsillitis. Its different
parts have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic properties. Its
use has been evidenced against infertility, hyperglycemias, bacterial
infections and cancer.Long back, I had prescribed acyclovir for an adult
who had herpes with blisters all over his trunk. After few days he came
to me and I saw thepatient was asymptomatic. I was happy thinking that
the antiviral has worked. But the patient told that he could not
purchase the drug because it was costly for him. As per the advice of
local traditional healer he took seedcake of MadhucaLongifoliaand burnt
it. He exposed his body to the smoke or fumes of the seedcake andall the
blisters were fallen. Its antiviral property needs to be confirmed by
further research[6].
Conclusion
The Medicinal properties of this wonderful Mahua tree
are not known to the researchers of today. On the backdrop of
antimicrobial resistance, lack of affordability of people of developing
countries, researchers should show interest and work intensively towards
finding different ingredients of this plant and conduct experiment for
treating ailments which will benefit Mankind in terms of less cost,
minimal side effect and socio-cultural acceptability of herbal medicine
by the community.
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