Madhuka

BOTANICAL NAME: Madhuca longifolia

FAMILY: Sapotaceae

CLASSICAL CLASSIFICATION:

BHAVAPRKASH– amradi phala varga

ENGLISH NAME: Butter tree, Honey tree

COMMON NAME:

Hindi name: Mahua, mahva, mahwa
Bengali name: Mahuya, Mohua
Kannada name: Hippe mara

REFERENCE: BHAVAPRAKASH SAMHITA with link e Nighantu:

https://niimh.nic.in/ebooks/e-Nighantu/bhavaprakashanighantu/?mod=read

मधूको गुडपुष्पः स्यान्मधुपुष्पो मधुस्रवः |
वानप्रस्थो मधुष्ठीलो जलजेऽत्र मधूलकः ||७९||
मधूकपुष्पं मधुरं शीतलं गुरु बृंहणम् |
बलशुक्रकरं प्रोक्तं वातपित्तविनाशनम् ||८०||
फलं शीतं गुरु स्वादु शुक्रलं वातपित्तनुत् |
अहृद्यं हन्ति तृष्णाऽस्रदाहश्वासक्षतक्षयान् ||८१||

HABITAT: The tree is found in states of North India like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION: Madhuka is a fast-growing tree that grows to approximately 15-18 meters in height, possesses evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage. The flowers are pale yellow and sweet in taste from which alcohol is prepared. The fruits are small and round in shape. The seeds of the tree yields oil.

MAJOR CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: The fruit pulp yields triterpenoids, n –hexacosanol, beta– D- glucoside of beta- sitosterol. The nut shell has qurcetin and dihydroquercetin. The seeds yield saponins-2,3-di-O- glucopyranoside of basic acid. The bark of the trunk contains lupeol acetate, beta- amyrin acetate, alpha- spinasterol, erythrodiol monocaprylate, betulinic acid and oleanolic acid.

THERAPEUTIC USES:

• SKIN DISEASES– Oil extracted from seeds of madhuka applied over area affected with skin diseases.
• GENERAL DEBILITY Cold infusion prepared from flowers to treat general debility.

Indications:

Kushtha Skin diseases, Netra daha Burning sensation of eyes, Shiroroga Headache, Atisara Diarrhoea

USEFUL PART:Flowers, Seeds and Oil

DOSAGE: Juice of flower- 10 to 20 ml

Decoction of bark- 50 to 75 ml

AYURVEDIC FORMULATION:

1 Madhukasava Abhayarishta

2 Chandanasava

3 Nyagrodhadi churna

4 Lakshmanarishta