Madhuca longifolia

Other Names : Madhuca longifolia var. latifolia, Indian Butter Tree, महुआ Mahua, Mohwa, Mahwa, Mohwra, llupai, honey tree, Kat-illipi, Illupa, Ippa, Bassia latifolia, Illipe latifolia, Madhuca indica, Madhuca latifolia, Madhuca indica, Madhuca latifolia, Illipe latifolia, Bassia longifolia L., Bassia latifolia Roxb.
an Indian tropical tree found largely in the central and north Indian plains and forests.

Side Effects of Madhuca longifolia

• Tamil tradition cautions that excessive use of this flower will result in imbalance of thinking and may even lead to lunacy.

Properties and Actions

Astringent, Stimulant, Emollient, Demulcent, antipyretic, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antitumour, antiprogestational, antiestrogenic, wound healing, Nutritive and Antiepileptic

Health Benefits and Uses of Madhuca longifolia

• Traditionally M. longifolia bark is used in rheumatism, ulcers, bleedings and tonsillitis.
• The decoction of the flowers is a valuable remedy for pitta diseases.
• The bark is used to cure leprosy and to heal wounds,
• the flowers are prepared to relieve coughs, biliousness and heart-trouble
• the fruit is given in cases of consumption and blood diseases.
• In diarrhoea a cup of infusion of bark is taken orally twice a day by the tribals.
• The stem bark is used in chronic tonsilitis, leprosy and fever (Kirtikar and Basu, 2001).
• It is commonly used for the treatment of snakebite as antidote for southern part of Tamilnadu
• Decoction of stem bark is used to cure skin disease, hydrocoele and skin disease (Ayyanar and Ignacimuttu, 2005; Joseph, 2008).
• Powdered bark is employed for the treatment of scabies.
• Madhuca longifolia leaves are expectorant and also used for chronic bronchitis and cushing’s disease (Prajapati et al., 2008).
• The leaves are applied as a poultice to relieve eczema.
• Antidiabetic activity
• Antimicrobial : The acetone, aqueous and ethanolic extracts of stem and leaves of M. longifolia shows the antimicrobial activity
• Anti-inflammatory activity : a significant anti-inflammatory activity by M. longifolia saponins in cotton pellet granuloma (Ramchandra et al., 2009).
• Antipyretic activity The crude methanolic extract of aerial part of M. indica shows antipyretic activity
• Anticancer activity of ethanol extract of M. longifolia leaves (EEML) against Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma (EAC) in mice.
• Externally, the seed oil massage is very effective to alleviate pain. In skin diseases, the juice of flowers is rubbed for oleation.
• It is also beneficial as a nasya (nasal drops) in diseases of the head due to pitta, like sinusitis. * The seed oil is used in manufacturing of soaps and is used as an edible also.
• As a general tonic, the powder of flowers works well with ghee and honey. The decoction of flowers quenches the thirst effectively.
• Because of its astringent property, madhucarista is salutary in diarrhoea and colitis.
• In raktapitta, the fresh juice of flowers is used with great benefit to arrest the bleeding.
• The flowers play an important role in augmention the breast milk in lactating mothers and in boosting the quantity of seminal fluids also.
• Madhuca is beneficial in urinary ailments like burning micturition, dehydration, fever and tuberculosis.
• Anti-epileptic Activity : The combination of the powders of the bark skin of Madhuca, pippali and marica fruits, rhizomes of vaca and salt in equal parts is used in the form of nasal drops, in the treatment of epilepsy, with excellent benefit.
• Madhuca is the best nervine and salutary in the diseases due to vata.
• The nasya-nasal therapy is useful in hysteria, cough and sinusitis.
• The bark skin powder is given along with ghee and honey to improve the vitality and sexual vigor. * Madhuca longifolia is highly regarded as an universal panacea in the ayurvedic medicine

Used in Patent medicine

Abhayarista

References

Ethnomedical uses of madhuca longifolia--a review. Akshatha, K. N. and Mahadeva Murthy, S. and Lakshmi Devi, N. (2013)