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Swallow Wrat

Description: Calotropis   Description: Calotropis_procera_PhilaeSM

 

BOTANICAL NAME:

  • Calotropis procera

FAMILY:

  • Asclepiadaceae                                  

SYNONYM(S):

  • Caltropis hamiltoni
  • Asclepias procera willd

URDU NAME:

  • Aak, Madar  

REGIONAL NAME:                  

  • Bengali: Akanda
  • Punjabi: AK, Shakarallighal, Shakarulushar.
  • Persian: Khark
  • Hindi: Ag, Ak, Akada, Madar, Safedak
  • Pashto: Spalmy
  • Sanskrit: Arka
  • Sindhi: Ak
  • Burma: Myopin
  • Arabic: Ochar, Oshar

UNANI/TIBBI NAME:

  • Usher, Aak

ENGLISH NAME:

  • Swallow-wrat

HABITAT:

  • It is found in Sindh, lower Blochistan, Kurram, N.W.F.P and Punjab.

DESCRIPTION:

  • A 1.8-2.5m high erect shrub, young parts covered with white cotton like tomentum
  • Bark soft, corky and spongy.
  • Leaves sub sessile, normally 5.7-15 cm by 4.5-8.5 cm, broadly ovate, ovate oblong, elliptic or obviate with a short abrupt acumination, cottony pubescent when young at length glabrous.
  • Flowers in umbellate  which are at first tomentose, but  becoming nearly glabrous,
  • Buds globose
  • Calyx glabrous
  • Sepal ovate, acute
  • Corolla glabrous, divided about two-third of the way down
  • Lobes normally erect, ovate acute
  • Seeds 6 by 4 mm, broadly ovate, acute, flattened, narrowly margined, minutely tomentose, light brown in colour

PART USED:

  • Root bark, leaves and flowers, latex.

TASTE:

  • Slightly bitter

TEMPERAMENT:

  • Hot 3°, dry 3°

PERIOD OF OCCURRENCE:

  • Grows throughout the year and flowers from September to February.

PROCEDURE & TIME OF COLLECTION:

  • Root bark: The root bark from old plants is selected for medicinal purposes. The thick, corky epidermis is removed before reducing the root bark to a powder.
  • Leaves: usually collected when the plant flowers and healthy leaves are plucked off and shade dried.

CONSTITUENTS:

  • Resin
  • Protein 
  • Alkaloids
  • Terpinoids
  • Glycosides
  • Carbohydrates
  • Calotropin
  • Calotropagenin
  • Calatin
  • Al2+, Fe2+, Ca2+, Mg+, Na+

SUBSTITUTES:

  • Tamalghota/coroton seeds (coroton tiglium )

ACTIONS AND USES IN UNANI SYSTEM OF MEDICINE:

Pharmacological action:

  • Rubefacients
  • Expectorant
  • Resolvent
  • Sedative
  • Emetic
  • Aphrodisiac
  • Laxative
  • Anthelmintic  

Therapeutic uses:

  • Root bark: valuable as remedy in skin diseases, dysentery, cure piles, cough, asthma, inflammation
  • Flower: cure piles, asthma, used in cholera, cold, cough, indigestion
  • Leaves: relieves pain, cure for sprain, headache and other pains, in tincture to relief intermitted fever.

DOSES:

  • Bark: 5-10 gm
  • Dry leaves: 0.25-1 gm

CORRECTIVES:

  • Kalimirch/pepper (Piper nigrum)
  • Roghan-e-zard/butteroil, Milk         

IMPORTANT UNANI FORMULATIONS:

  • Hab-e-gul-e-aak
  • Rogan haft-e-burg

ASTROLOGY:

  • Saturn
By Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences