Plant Name Holarrhena antidysenterica
Common name: Indrajao
Marathi: Safed Kuda
Hindi: Karva indrajau
English: Tellicherry
Jawhar: Safed kuda
Identification guide
Fruits
thin and cylindrical, with two follicles attached together at distal ends, contains 25-30 seeds each2
Stems
short, pale bark with several branches
Leaves
opposite, ovate, obtusely acuminate and long with short stalks
Flowers
white and turm creamish yellow at mayurity, appear at the end of the branch in corymb like cymes, have oblong petals.
Seeds
light brown or smoky in colour.
Habit / Habitat
Deciduous shrub/ small tree
It grows well on open wastelands and uplands
Occurrence
It is commonly found and- native India, sub-Himalayan tract, and other parts in Aisia
Edible parts
Used by tribal community in Jawhar: Flowers
Method of consumption
Jawhar tribal: Flower are boiled and cooked as vegetable.
Medicinal use: Flower are boiled and cooked as vegetable
Nutritional and medicinal information
Pharmaceutical significance
Literature review:
1) The ethanolic extract of H.antidysentrica seeds was tested on diarrhoea infected rats. The study showed multiple antibiotic resistance against the bacteria and suggested that the alkaloids present in the ethanolic extract have significant anti-bacterial and diarrhoeal properties .
2) The effect of aqueous extract of seed of Holarrhena antidysenterica for the management of streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetes in rat showed significant recovery in the levels of lipid profile. Thus, the study concluded that the plants consists of antidiabetic activities.
3) A study on Hydo-alcoholic crude extract of the said plant was carried out to provide pharmacological basis for traditional medicinal use in treating gastrointestinal disorders. The results indicated that the gut stimulant and relaxant activities of Holarrhena antidysenterica are mediated through activation of histamine receptors and Ca(++) channel blockade. Thus study provided a significant background for its usefulness in gut motility disorders
Propagation and Storage
Season of collection
Edible: Flowers are collected from April to July
How to grow it?
The natural propagation is by seeds.
Method of storage
Propagules: Seeds are dried and stored
Edibles: Consumed immediately after harvest
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Spermatophyta
Sub-division: Angiospermae
Class: Dicotyledonae
Sub-class: Gamopetalae
Series: Bicarpellatae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Holarrhena
Species: antidysenterica
Reference
- http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Indrajao.html
- http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-herbs/holarrhena-antidysenterica.html#06hpDtAgxOIAhB8s.99
- http://bioinfo.bisr.res.in/project/domap/plant_details.php?plantid=0084&bname=Holarrhena%20antidysenterica
- http://www.niscair.res.in/ScienceCommunication/ResearchJournals/rejour/ijeb/Fulltextsearch/2004/June%202004/IJEB-vol%2042-June%202004-pp%20589-594.htm
- http://ijarnp.org/index.php/ijarnp/article/view/44
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20822397