Abstract

AYURVEDIC PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL INFORMATION ON SAPTAPARNA (Alstonia scholaris): A REVIEW ARTICLE

Dr. T. A. Pansare*, Dr. Manu Kushwaha and Dr. Swapnali P. Kambli

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Abstract

Saptparna with the botanical name Alstonia scholaris, commonly called as blackboard tree or devil’s tree. Saptparna is an evergreen tropical tree in the family Apocynaceae. This species is found in the sub-Himalayan tract from Yamuna eastwards, ascending up to 1000m. It occurs in tropical, subtropical and moist deciduous forest in India, and is widely cultivated as avenue tree throughout India. Saptaparna name comes from two Sanskrit words, Sapta meaning seven, and parni meaning leaves. As the name suggests, the leaves most often are found in groups of seven around the stem. In Ayurveda it is used in various skin disorders, therefore Aacharya Charaka mentioned this drug in Kushtghna (Anti-leprosy) and Udardprashmana (Skin disoreders) classes. The bark is known as ditabark, contains the alkaloids ditamine, echitenine, echitamine and strictamine, used by Indians as traditional medicine to treat diarrhea, dysentery, asthma and a few types of fevers. It has Tikta, Kashaya rasa, Katu vipaka and Ushna virya hence it mostly useful in Kaphapitta diseases such as Jwara (fever), Kushtha (leprosy), Gulma (cyst), Vrana (wound) etc. The extract of the plant showed pharmacological activities like anti-malarial, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antianxiety, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, anticancer, anti-microbial, antidiarrheal, antioxidant, wound healing activities etc. These reviews draw the attention towards ayurvedic information, phytochemistry, therapeutic uses and pharmacological actions of Saptaparna.

Keywords: Saptaparna, Alstonia scholaris, Ayurvedic aspect, Pharmacology.