IJRPC 2013, 3(3) Paras Jain et al. ISSN: 22312781 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PHARMACY AND CHEMISTRY Available online at www.ijrpc.com Review Article A POTENTIAL ETHNOMEDICINAL PLANT: SEMECARPUS ANACARDIUM LINN. – A REVIEW Paras Jain* and HP. Sharma Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, University Department of Botany, Ranchi University, Ranchi, Jarkhand, India. ABSTRACT Semecarpus anacardium Linn. (Family: Anacardiaceae), commonly known 'Ballataka' or 'Bhilwa', is a plant well-known for its medicinal value in ayurvedic and siddha system of medicine, it is also used for non-medicinal purpose like marking of cloth, hair dye etc since ancient time. Phyto- chemical analyses of Semecarpus anacardium nut shows that, its nut contain a variety of biologically active compounds such as biflavonoids, phenolic compounds, bhilawanols, minerals, vitamins and amino acids, which shows various medicinal properties. Traditional healers and physicians use Semecarpus anacardium in their clinical practice. Several experiments have prooved it’s anti-atherogenic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-reproductive, CNS stimulant, hypoglycemic, anticarcinogenic and hair growth promoter activities. Keywords: Semecarpus anacardium, Marking nut, Bioactive compounds, Ayurvedic drugs. INTRODUCTION Semecarpus anacardium linn (SA) is one of Plants are the basis of life on earth and are the best, versatile and most commonly used central to people’s livelihood. The people herbs as a household remedy, distributed in generally depends upon nearby forest areas to sub-Himalayan region, Tropical region, Bihar, supply their needs such as medicine, timber, Bengal, Orissa and central parts of India. It fuel-wood, wood, wild vegetables and many has been freely used all over India since more. For thousands of years, cultures around centuries. The word Semecarpus is derived the world have used herbs and plants to treat from Greek word simeion meaning marking or illness and maintain health. The Indian tracing and carpus meaning nut. Anacardium knowledge of herbal medicines is gaining wide means like cardium; - “Heart shaped marking spread acceptance globally. In Ayurveda, nut”. Maharsi Charaka has categorized almost all medicinal preparations are derived bhallataka as dipaniya- an appetizer, from plants. Herbs and plants are valuable not bhedaniya – accumulation breaking herb, only for their active ingredients but also for mutra sangrahaniya – antidiuretic and their minerals, vitamins, volatile oils, kusthaghna – anti dermatosis. Bhallataka is glycosides, alkaloids, acids, alcohols, esters acclaimed as a drug of choice in the treatment etc. Higher plants, as sources of medicinal of piles of vata and kapha types. It has also compounds continue to play a dominant role in got the potential to produce allergic maintenance of human health since manifestations through contact dermatitis. antiquities. Over 50% of all modern clinical drugs are naturaly originated1 and natural Plant Morphology/ Botanical Description products play an important role in drug It is a medium sized deciduous tree, growing development programmes of the up to 10-15 metres in height. The plant grows pharmaceutical industry2. According to naturally in tropical and dry climate. Bark is Edwards3, about two-thirds of 50, 000 grey in colour and exudes an irritant secretion medicinal plants in use are still harvested from on incising. The leaves are simple alternate, the natural habitat. 30-60 cm long and 12-30 cm broad. They are glabrous above and pubescent beneath. The 564 IJRPC 2013, 3(3) Paras Jain et al. ISSN: 22312781 flowers are greenish white, in panicles. Fruits Active Principles/ Phytochemistry are ripe between December to March and are The most significant components of the 2-3 cm broad, ovoid and smooth with a S. anacardium Linn. are bhilwanols, phenolic lustrous black. Flowering occurs in June and compounds, 4,5 biflavonoids,6 sterols and then onwards the plant bears fruits. It has got glycosides. 4,7 An alkaloid, Bhilawanol, has no specific soil affinity and Easily recognized been isolated from oil and seeds. Bhilwanol by large leaves and the red blaze exuding from fruits was shown to be a mixture of cis resin, which blackens on exposure. and Trans isomers of ursuhenol. Oil from nuts, bhilavinol, contains a mixture of phenolic Microscopic structure compounds mainly of 1,2-dihydroxy-3 Fruit - Pericarp differentiated into epicarp, (pentadecadienyl-8, 11) benzene and 1,2- mesocarp and endocarp; in longitudinal dihydroxy-3 (pentadecadienyl-8', 11’)- section pericarp shows outer epicarp benzene8. On exposure to air, phenolic consisting of single layer of epidermal cells compounds get oxidized to Quinones. The which are elongated radially and lignified. oxidation process can be prevented by Characteristic glands are found in pericarp keeping the oil under nitrogen. Nut shells which exude oil globules and arise as small contain the biflavonoids: biflavones A, C, A1, protuberances in epicarp. Due to pressure A2, tetrahydrorobustaflavone, B exerted by cells of mesocarp, some of (tetrahydromentoflavone) 9, jeediflavanone,10,11 epidermal cells and cuticle rupture and oil semecarpuflavan 12,13 and gulluflavone 14,15. globules exude from oil glands; mesocarp has Other components isolated are anacardic acid, a very broad zone, 30-40 layers thick, cardol, catechol, fixed oil, semecarpetin, composed mostly of parenchymatous cells anacardol, anacardoside and semecarpol. The having lysigenous cavities and fibro-vascular kernel oil contains oleic acid- 60.6%; linoleic bundles, below epidermis a few outer cells of acid- 17.1%; palmitic acid- 16%; stearic acid- parenchyma smaller as compared to rest; 3.8%; arachidic acid- 1.4%. rosette crystals of calcium oxalate found scattered in parenchymatous cells, some cells Contain Per cent get dissolved and form lysigenous cavities Foreign matter 1% which increase in size with maturity of fruit, Acid-insoluble ash 0.5 % Total Ash 4 % cavities do not have any special lining and Water-soluble extractive 5 % contain an acrid and irritant yellowish oily Alcohol-soluble extractive 11 % secretion; 19 endocarp consists of two distinct layers, innermost prismatic having very much Current status elongated radial walls, being highly thickened, Due to the toxic activities, large size, allergic the outer layer is shorter and thinner than effect are loss of traditional knowledge prismatic layer but the cells similar to the generation by generation, most of the peoples former; number of mesocarp parenchyma don’t know the importance and proper use of contain rosette crystals of calcium oxalate and Semecarpus anacardium, that’s why now a oil drops in oil glands; lysigenous cavities of day’s peoples are avoiding to gardening it in mesocarp contain oily vesicating substance, surrounding area. now Semecarpus insoluble in water and soluble in alcohol, ether, anacardium plant has become a wild plant, it chloroform. found only in forest area. Day by day the quantity of this plant is decreasing, it is need to Synonyms aware it's importance to society otherwise it Hindi : Bhilwa, Billar, Bhelwa, Bhilawa will be become rare and we will loss one of Sanskrit : Bhallataka, Antahsattva, important plant from the dictionary of Indian Arusharah, Aruskara, Arzohita, medicinal plants. Bhallata, Viravrksa, Vishasya, Bhallatakah Classification English : Marking Nut Tree, Marsh Nut, Kingdom : Plantae Oriental Cashew Nut Subkingdom : Tracheobionta Tamil : Erimugi (Erimuki) Super division : Spermatophyta Telugu : Nallajeedi, Bhallatamu Division : Magnoliophyta Gujarati : Bhilamu, Bhilamo Class : Magnoliopsida Marathi : Bibba, Bhillava Subclass : Rosidae Oriya : Bhollataki, Bonebhalia, Amberi Order : Sapindales Urdu : Baladur, billar, bhilavan Family : Anacardiaceae Assamese : Bhala Genus : Semecarpus Nepali : Bhalaayo Species : Anacardium 565 IJRPC 2013, 3(3) Paras Jain et al. ISSN: 22312781 resistance. Winter is the best season for its Properties usage. Bhallataka is sweet and astringent in taste. It is extremely heat generating. Kalpaamruthaa (KA), an indigenous-modified Siddha formulation, consists of SA nut milk Folk medicine extract and fresh dried powder of Emblica Semecarpus anacardium is a one of most officinalis (EO) fruit along with honey. popular medicinal valuable plant in world of Kalpaamrutha was found to be nontoxic up to Ayurveda. Charak, Sushrut and Vagbhatt, the the dose level of 2000 mg/kg. main three treatises of Ayurveda have described the medicinal properties of Pharmacology Semecarpus anacardium and it’s formulation. Number of drugs are derived from Semicarpus Bhallataka is used both, internally as well as anacardium plant which are available in externally. The fruits, their oil and the seeds market against several disease like skin have great medicinal value, and are used to disease, tumors, malignant growth, fungal treat the wide range of diseases. Detoxified disease, excessive menstruation, vaginal nut of SA were used in Ayurveda for skin discharge, fever, haemoptysis, constipation diseases, tumors, malignant growths, fevers, and intestinal parasites. (Charaka, Sushruta).17 haemoptysis, excessive menstruation, vaginal Anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic, antioxidant discharge, deficient lactation, constipations, activity, hypolipidemic, hypoglycaemic, anti- intestinal parasites. (Charaka, Sushruta), atherogenic, anti-inflammatory, antifertility, Before using Semecarpus anacardium for neuro-protective activities of Semecarpus medicinal purpose, it’s