Punnaga plant

Punnaga plant

The medicinal flower of the Punnaga plant has long been revered as a sacred plant of Lord Vishnu. During the Lalitha sahasram, the flower adorns the head of the hair goddess Lalitambika. As a medicinal flower, Punnaga is widely used in Ayurveda formulations for various ailments, including Raktapitta, Raktatisara, and Rakta srava.

What Ayurveda says about Punnaga plant

The Punnaga plant is a large evergreen that has many medicinal uses. It is also known as Alaxendrion laurel and is known by many other names. The Ayurvedic system of medicine describes the plant for its medicinal value. This plant is found throughout Asia and Africa and is categorized within the family Clusiaceae. It is used in many different ways, including for treating various ailments and for postnatal lactation.

The word “punnaga” is related to the Sanskrit word, Pumnaga, Raktarenu, Sugandhi etc which means nutmeg. The word also has several other meanings and etymologies in various religions and cultures. In fact, the Punnaga is even associated with ancient Indian performing arts traditions. Sanskrit is the mother language of the Indo-European language family, and it is closely related to Prakrit and Pali, which are considered the oldest written language in the world.

KARMA

• Vedanasthapana
• Raktapitta Samaka
• Vrana ropana
• Mutrakricchrahara
• Raktapittahara
• Raktatisaragna
• Raktasthampaka
• Varnya
• Deepaka
• Dahaprashamana
• Uttejaka
• Vamaka
• Rakta Shodaka
• Sara

INDICATIONS

• Raktapitta
• Raktasrava
• Raktatisara – Pravahika
• Amavata – Sandhivata
• Carmarvga
• Mutrakrcchra – Puyameha
• Netraroga – Sukra

Morphology of Punnaga plant

Punnaga plant is a large, slow-growing, and small-branched evergreen tree. The medicinal benefits of Punnaga are based on its bark and leaves, which are helpful in treating diseases like chicken pox and scabies. Its leaves and seeds have astringent, diuretic, and emmenagogue properties, and are used for a wide variety of conditions, from rheumatism to corneal opacity. The plant’s seeds are known as Domba oil.

The petals, or sepals, are covered with epidermal cells. The petals are lined with two to three layers, while the adaxial epidermis is made up of several layers. The vascular bundles are arranged in a row, and resin canals are found throughout the ground tissue. The stamens are short, thick filaments with an elongated anther lobe and fused at the base.

PARTS USED

• Bark
• Leaves
• Seeds

Medicinal uses of Punnaga plant

The plant’s medicinal properties are explained in Ayurveda. The punnaga plant’s leaves and flowers are used in many Ayurvedic formulations. It is used to treat Raktapitta and Raktatisara.

THERAPEUTICS

• Leaves of Punnaga are useful in Chicken pox, Scabies, Sunburn, Skin inflammation, Post natal lactation and Sickness, Eye catarrh and debility and as fish poison.
• Bark is astringent, diuretic emmenagogue and given to babies with fever and running nose.
• It is used in decoction in internal heamorrhage and as a wash for indolent ulcers.
• Juice is purgative.
• Gum exuding from bark is a remedy for wounds and ulcers.
• It is emetic and purgative.
• Seeds are useful in the treatment of Skin, Rash, and Rheumatism and as Vermifuge.
• Oil expressed from seeds and known in Europe as Domba oil is Rubefacient and irritant but on the mucous membrane of genito – urinary organs it is specific.
• It is highly esteemed external application in Rheumatism also in Gonorrhoea and gleet, also applied in Scabies.

FOLKLORE USES

• Decoction of flowers given to cure Syphillis, eczema and insanity.
• Netraroga – Infusion of Punnaga leaves will cure corneal opacity.
• Kustha – Its Oil is applied externally in the skin disorders.

MATRA

• Twak kwatha: 50 – 100ml
• Taila: 2 – 5 drops
• Beeja Churna: 3 – 5g

Precautions taking Punnaga plant as a medicine

A tropical plant, Hab. is cultivated in most tropical regions. It is high in mucilage, nitrogen, and salts of lime, potash, and magnesia. The plant also contains many nutrients, including potassium. This medicine should be taken strictly under the guidance of an Ayurvedic Doctor

RESEARCH

• Calophyllolide produced a slight bradychardia madose of 10mcg i.p in isolated perfused rabbit heart. It decreased the amplitude of concentration with an effect on rhythm but increased the coronary flow. It was found to be as effective as quinidine in suppressing ventricular ectopic tachychardia resulting from acute ml in days. It possessed vaso constrictor action on peripheral vessels in isolated rabbit ear perfusion.(Arora etal 1962)
• Inophyllum B and P inhibited HIV reverse trancriptase(Ic5038 and 130nm respectively) and were active against HIV In cell culture(Ic501.4 and 1.6pm respectively)-(J-med.chem 1993,36,41,31)
• Calophyllolide showed potent anti-inflammatory activity in Carragenin – induced Oedema in rats EDSO was 10mg/kg orally. It also mshowed anti-inflammatory and anti – arthritic activity in Formaldehyde – induced arthritis and adjuvant arthritis in arts(I.J.M.B,1980,72,762).