International Journal of Health Sciences and Research www.ijhsr.org ISSN: 2249-9571
Review Article
A Morphological Review on Gmelina Arborea Linn- A Wonder Ayurvedic Herb
Ashalatha M1, Kuber Sankh2
1Professor and HOD, Department of Dravyaguna, Government Ayurveda Medical College, Bengaluru 2Ph.D Scholar, Department of Dravyaguna, Government Ayurveda Medical College, Bengaluru.
Corresponding Author: Kuber Sankh
Received: 17/11/2014 Revised: 08/12/2014 Accepted: 12/12/2014
ABSTRACT
Gmelina arborea an important medicinal plant is one of the most widely cultivated species of the family Verbenaceae. Gmelina arborea Roxb is a well-known medicinal plant. It is known to have been used in traditional Indian medicine having important source of chemicals of immense medicinal and pharmaceutical importance. It is highly valued from time immemorial because of its vast medicinal properties. The present article provides all necessary information regarding its literature. The roots, leaves, flowers, fruits and bark are used for treating different ailments in traditional medicine. The literature suggests use of the plant in treatment of scorpion sting, snake-bites and diabetes. The plant is anthelmintic and used for treating hallucinations, excess thirst, piles, abdominal pains, burning sensations, and fever. So considering the available literature on Gmelina arborea roxb, review study has been under taken.
Keywords: Gmelina arborea, Immemorial, Pharmaceutical, Verbenaceae
INTRODUCTION in case of hallucination, fever, dyspepsia, Medicinal plants have been used to hyperdipsia, hemorrhoids, gastralgia, cure human illness since time immemorial. anasarca, and in burning sensation. It is Certain of these drugs are believed to bitter, sweet, tonic, laxative, galactogogue, promote positive health and maintain and anthelmintic. [4] It is a popular organic resistance against infections by re- commercial timber grows naturally in the establishing body equilibrium and warm temperate regions of Mediterranean conditioning the body tissue. [1,2] and South Asia. The plant is commonly The root of G. arborea Linn. is one found in abundance on the hills and in the oftheingredientsof“dashmuladikwath”and Andaman Islands of India. “bhrihatpanchamool” of ayurveda, which Classification constitutes a number of ayurvedic Botanical identification (engler and preparations used as tonics. [3] According to prantal,1931) [5] the Ayurvedic literature, the roots of G. arborea Linn. have been reported to be used Kingdom– Plantae - Plants
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Sub kingdom –Tracheopbionta-Vascular plants Trees or shrubs unarmed or spinous; Division– Magnoliophyta -Flowering plants young shoots usually tomentose. Leves Class – Magnoliopsida- Dicotyledons Order – Lamiales opposite, entire or toothed, sometimes more Family – Verbenaceae -Verbena family or less lobed. Flowers large, yellow or Genus – Gmelina brownish yellow, often tomentose, in small Species – arborea dense or lax sessile or pendunculate cymes along the branches of a terminal panicle; Latin name: Gmelina arborea bracts usually narrow, rarely leafy. Calyx Gmelina means name of the research campanulate, 4-5 toothed or subentire, [6] scientist. arborea means tree like. persistent and unaltered in fruit. Corolla 2- Family :Verbenaceae lipped, infundibuliform, ventricose in the General characters upper part; tube slender below, much [7] VERBENANCEAE swollen above; limb oblique, spreading 4-5 Herbs, shrubs, or trees. Leaves lobed. Stamens 4, didynamous, inserted usually opposite or whorled, simple or (in below the throat, shorter than the corolla; VITEX) digitate; stipules 0. Inflorescence anthers with oblong more or less discrete cymose, racemose or spicate; cymes often cells. Ovary 4-celled; ovule solitary in each compound or paniculate; bracts usually cell; style slender; stigma shortly 2-fid. Fruit small; flowers often brightly coloured, a succulent drupe; endocarp undivided, hermaphrodite (rarely polygamous), usually bony, 2-4 celled. Seeds oblong; albumen O; irregular. Calyx inferior, gamosepalous, cotyledons thick Species 8. Indo Malaya, persistent, tubular or cup-shaped, 5-4 (rarely Austalia. 6-8) lobed or toothed. Corolla 1. Atree……………………1.Gmelina arborea gamopetalous; tube usually cylindric or 2. Ashrub………………….2.Gmelina asiatica dilated above often curved limb 2-lipped or Gmelina asiitica Linn is used medicinally in subequally lobed; lobes 5-4 (rarely more). Cambodia Stamens 4, didynamous (rarely 2, very Species [7] rarely 5-6), inserted on the corolla-tube; Gemelina arborea : filaments free; anthers 2-celled, opening by It is a moderate sized unarmed longitudinal slits. Disk usually deciduous tree with grayish yellow bark and inconspicuous. Ovary superior, sessile 2-4 frequent lenticels having vertical orientation. (rarely 8 or almost 1) celled, entire or 4- The tender parts are usually clothed with lobed; ovules variously attached, 2 white pubescence. (sometimes1) in each cell; style terminal; Root - Is cylindrical and consists of a thick stigma usually entire, less commonly 2 or central cylinder covered over by thin layer more lobed. Fruit usually more or less of yellowish grey bark. The outer surface of drupaceous, 2-4 or 1 celled; mesocrap juicy, the root is rough to touch due to presence of fleshy or dry; endocarp usually bony. Seed ridges and prominent broadly oblong erect or pendulous, separate in distinct cells; lenticels having vertical orientation. The albumen 0 in the Indian genera; embryo central of the wood is porous, hard and light. straight; radical inferior. Genera about 70. Leaves: Simple petiolate unicastate Species 750 – Almost all tropical and exstipulate, reticulate and decussate about subtropical. 20 cms long and 15 cms broad broadly ovate Genus [7] acuminate outer globrous on ventral surface GEMELINA LINN when mature and stellotely tomanotose on the dorsal surface, leaf – base cordate or
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slightly cunate. The ventral surface is pole pricked out to 22 cm apart in the first rains green petiole 5-12.5 cm long cylindrical and planted out in the next rainy season with pubenolous with a pair of glands at its top. the stem pruned down to 5 cm and the root Flowers: Complete bi-sexual born in trimmed to 30 cm. a spacing of 2m x 2m is penicles with brownish yellow colour ordinarily suitable. The rate of growth is fast shortly pedicellate. and the tree is well adapted as coppice. It Calyx: Gamosepolous 0.5cm long has been found suitable for plantation on campanulote with 5 teeth pale greenish wastelands. yellow and tomantose. Micro propagation of G. arborea was Corolla : Gamopetalous bilobiate 5 lobet tried through axillary bud culture. The (3+2) lobes recurvol 3.7 cms long densely epicormic and crown regions of a six-year- hairy outside yellowish brown with old plant were used to initiate shoot cultures. conspicuous yellow and brown spots. Explants from the epicormic region Androceum : Poly androus didynamous produced 2.7 (average) shootlets / explants epipetalous anothers introse pendulous when cultured on McCown’s medium for supespatrate. woody plants supplemented with 2% Gynoecuem: Superior 4 cellut with one sucrose. About 80% of in vitro regenerated ovule in each cell style slender stigma shoots rooted on IBA (1.5 mg/l) shortly bifid. supplementedMcCown’smediumwithin7- Fruit Drupe: 1.9-2.5 cms long ovoid glossy 9 days of culture. when ripe becomes orange yellow develops Trade and Commerce : Retail market price – a sweet taste. Root – Rs. 10/- per kg (2001). DISTRIBUTION [8] MACROSCOPIC CHARACTERS [10] Found throughout India, from foot of Root – Root pieces are nearly cylindrical North West Himalaya to Chittagong and with uneven surface, grayish brown; fracture throughout Deccan peninusula. somewhat tough in bark, brittle and PROPAGATION AND CULTIVATION predominant in woody portion. [9] Root bark – Mature root bark, when fresh, It is planted in gardens and avenues. is yellowish in colour; dry pieces curved and The tree prefers moist, fertile soil with good channeled, thinner ones forming single drainage. Natural reproduction takes place in quills, external surface rugged due to rainy season soon after the drupes are fallen. presence of vertical cracks, ridges, fissures Alternating heat and moisture are necessary and numerous lenticels; fracture short and to stimulate seed germination. Artificial granular; paste mucilaginous, sweetish with reproduction may be carried out by direct slight bitterness. sowing or by transplanting. Direct sowing in Fruit : A drupe, ovoid, crinkled, black, 1.5- lines, 3-4m apart, with a distance of 30 cm 2.0 cm long, sometimes with portion of between the plants has given good results. attached pedicel, 2- seeded, sometimes 1- Dibbling of seeds (4-5 seeds at each peg) seeded; taste sweetish, sour, seed is ovate, with a spacing of 2 x2 m and broadcast 0.5- 1 cm long, 0.4 – 0.6 cm wide, light sowing also give satisfactory results for yellow, smooth surface, seed coat thin, transplanting purposes. Seeds are sown in papery; taste oily. drills in nursery beds shortly before rains. MICROSCOPIC CHARACTERS [9] Seedlings are transplanted in the first rainy Root –Transverse section of root shows 6-8 season when 8-10 cm high. If the plants are layers of cork cells arranged in tangential to be kept for a year in the nursery, they are direction and broken at places towards upper International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 306 Vol.5; Issue: 1; January 2015
layers. Cortex is composed of thin walled Fruit powder is blackish brown and shows parenchymatous cells with starch grains; stone cells, oil globules and aleurone grains. resin ducts present in abundance throughout cortex; scattered stone cells and fibres MAJOR CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS present, occurring mostly in singles; some [9] cortical cells contain rosette crystals of Gmelofuran-a furanosesquiterpenoid, calcium oxalate and oil globules. Primary sesquiterpene, cerylacohol, hentriacontanol- phloem is characterized by the presence of l, β- sitosterol, n-octacosanol, gmelinol, sieve tubes with companion cells, phloem apiosylskimmin-a, apiofuranosyl-(1-6) - β– parenchyma, soft bast fibres and ray cells. D- gulucopyranosyl (1.07) – umberlliferone Wood consists of simple, pited wood (root). Cluytyl ferulate, n-octacosanol, parenchyma, medullary rays, vessels and gmelinol, arboreal, 2-0 methyl arboreal, 2-0 tracheids; inner wood consists of a major ethylarboreol, isoarboreol, gmelanone, β – portion of fibres together with a few vessels; sitosterol, paulownin; 6-bromoisoarboreol, are numerous and form almost a ring near 4-hydroxysesami, 4,8- dihydroxysesamin, the periphery of xylem cylinder whereas in 1,4- dihydroxysesamin (gummadiol), 2- central region they are scattered in groups or piperonyl-3- (hydroxmethyl)-4 (α-hydroxy- in singles. Wood fibres are abundant and 3-, 4-methylenedioxybenzyl)- 4 hydroxy with simple pits. Cambium is distinct. tetrahydrofuran (I), 4-epigummadiol-4-0- Medullary rays are generally unito biseriate glucoside, 1,4-dihydroxy-2, 6-dipiperonyl- with abundant starch grains. 3, 7- dioxabicyclo (3,3,0) – octane, Root bark –Transverse section of mature gmelanone, palmitic, oleic and linoleic root bark shows cork represented by 10-18 acids, stigmasterol, stigmastanol, layers of tangentially enlongated rectangular campesterol, α-2-sitosterol, butulinol cells; secondary cortex composed of (heartwood); luteolin, apigenin, quercetin, parenchyama and groups of stone cells; hentriacontanol, β-sitosterol, quercetogenin secondary phloem consists of parenchyma, and other flavons (leaf). groups of stone cells, sieve tube elements SUBSTITUTES AND ADULTERANTS and medullary rays. [9] Fruit : Microscopically fruit shows pericarp Roots of Gmelina asiatica Linn.are used as differentiated into single layered epicarp, substitute to Gmelina arborea. multilayered mesocarp and endocarp. IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH Epicarp consists of single layer of thin [10] walled cells; mesocarp composed of several Root – layers of isodiametric, thin walled, Foreign matter – Not more than 2%, parenchymatous cells; endocarp consisting Total ash – Not more than 5%; of multilayered scelerenchyma. Seed shows Acid insoluble ash– Not more than 0.3%; outer integument consisting of 3-5 rows of Alcohol soluble extractive – Not less than crushed, parenchymatous cells followed by 7%; inner integument consisting of 2-3 rows of Water soluble extractive – Not less than thin walled, tangentially elongated, 20%. parenchymatous cells; cotyledons consisting Fruit – of single layered, radially elongated Foreign matter – Not more than 1%; epidermal cells; mesophyll consisting of thin Total ash – Not more than 6%; walled cells, filled with oil globules and Acid insoluble ash – Not more than 0.4%; aleurone grains. International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 307 Vol.5; Issue: 1; January 2015
Alcohol soluble extractive – Not less than medicinal plants used in Ayurveda. 8%; Central Council for Research in Water soluble extractive – Not less than Ayurveda and Siddha. 5. R.N.Sutaria, texts book a systematic 25%. th botany, sutraria editor. 5 ed. Ahmedabad: Khadayata book depot; CONCLUSION 1969. In a nut shell, the present 6. V.M.Gogte, Ayurvedic Pharmacology & morphological review helps in identification Therapeutic uses of Medicinal plants, and ancient literature of traditional Indian S.Ramakrishnan editor. Mumbai; medicine indicating the potential medicinal Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan; 2000. P 364- values of Gmelina arborea plant. 366 7. K.R. Kirtikar B.D. Basu, Indian REFERENCES Medicinal Plants Vol.-III. 2nd ed. Dehra 1. Bhagwan DV. Delhi: Bansal and Co; Dun: International Book Distributors; 1978. Fundamentals of Ayurvedic 1999. P 1931-1935. Medicine. 8. K.M. Nadakaranis, Indian Materia 2. Savnur HV. Belagaum: Dr. Jaghat and Medica Vol.-I. A.K. Nadakarni ed. 3rd Sons; 1950. A Handbook of Ayurvedic ed. Bombay: Popular Prakashan; 1982. Materia Medica with Principles of P 584-585. Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 9. Data base on medicinal plants used in 3. Gogte VM. Mumbai: The Academic Ayurveda, Vol 3, Reprint, New Delhi, Team of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s CCRAS, dept of ISM & H, 2005, P.217- Swami Prakashananda Ayurveda 228 Research Centre (SPARC); 2000. 10. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India Ayurvedic Pharmacology and Part I Vol.-I, 1st ed. New Delhi: Therapeutic Uses of Medicinal Plants Published by Government of India. (Dravyagunavignyan) Ministry of Health and Family welfare. 4. Sharma PC, Yelne MB, Dennis TJ. Vol. Department of Health.1989.P.42-43. 3. Govt. of India; 2005. Database on
How to cite this article: Ashalatha M, Sankh K. A morphological review on gmelina arborea linn- a wonder ayurvedic herb. Int J Health Sci Res. 2015; 5(1):304-308.
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International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 308 Vol.5; Issue: 1; January 2015