Garcinia cowa Health Dictionary

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Garcinia Cowa: From 1 Different Sources

Roxb.

Synonym: G. kydia Roxb.

Family: Guttiferae; Clusiaceae.

Habitat: Tropical forests of Assam, Bengal, Orissa and the Andamans.

Ayurvedic: Paaraavata, Kowaa.

Folk: Kaphal (Nepal), Kujithekera (Assam).

Action: Sun-dried slices of the fruit are used in dysentery. The latex is used as febrifuge. Gum-resin— drastic cathartic (may produce nausea and vomiting).

The fruits from Assam contain: total soluble solids 9.8, titrable acidity 4.7, total sugars 3.8% and vitamin C 8.64 mg/g

The latex gave xanthones, cowanin, cowanol, cowaxanthone and norcow- anin.

The bark contains cowanin, cow- anol, cowaxanthone and rubraxan- thone.

Cawanol and cowaxanthone are reported to exhibit moderate antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus au- reus.
Health Source: Indian Medicinal Plants
Author: Health Dictionary

Garcinia Cambogia

Desr.

Synonym: G. gummi-gutta (Linn.) Robs.

Family: Guttiferae; Clusiaceae.

Habitat: Western Ghats and Nilgiris.

English: Gamboge tree.

Ayurvedic: Vrkshaamla (allied species), Kokam (var.).

Siddha/Tamil: Kodakkapuli.

Action: Fruit rind—used in rickets and enlargement of spleen, in skeletal fractures.

The plant contains iso-prenylated polyphenols—cambogin and cambo- ginol. The fruit contains about 30% acid (dry weight basis), which is essentially (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA). HCA is a potent inhibitor of ATP citrate lyase, the enzyme that produces acetyl CoA for both fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis.

Taking Garcinia fruit rind extract orally does not seem to help decrease weight, satiety, fat oxidation or energy expenditure in obese people. Some researchers are of the view that garcinia inhibits the supply of fatty acids without affecting adipose conversion. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)

Latex gave benzophenone derivatives, camboginol and cambogin.... garcinia cambogia

Garcinia Hanburyi

Hook. f.

Family: Guttiferae; Clusiaceae.

Habitat: Evergreen forests of Assam and Khasi Hills.

English: Siam Gamboge.

Ayurvedic: Kankushtha; Kaalakushtha, Tamaala.

Unani: Usaar-e-revand.

Action: Gum-resin—drastic hydragogue, cathartic; used for dropsical conditions. Toxic. The gum-resin contains 70-75% resins consisting mainly of alpha- and beta-garcinolic acids with gambogic acids; about 20-25% gum.

Gambogic acid, morellic acid and isomorellic acid are toxic constituents of the gum-resin.... garcinia hanburyi

Garcinia Indica

Choisy.

Synonym: G. Purpurea Roxb.

Family: Guttiferae; Clusiaceae.

Habitat: Evergreen forests of Western Ghats from Konkan southwards and in Goa. Also cultivated in southern districts of Maharashtra and on lower slopes of Nilgiris.

English: Kokam Butter tree, Mangosteen Oil tree.

Ayurvedic: Vrkshaamla, Tintidika, Chukra, Amlavrkshak, Kokam, Amsula.

Siddha/Tamil: Murgal.

Folk: Kokam.

Action: Fruit—antiscorbutic, cholagogue, cooling, antibilious, emollient and demulcent. A syrup from the fruit juice is given in bilious affections. Bark—astringent, Oil or Kokam Butter—used for dysentery and diarrhoea with mucus. Applied externally to ulcerations, fissures of lips, chapped skin and skin diseases.

The fruit rind contain a polyiso- prenylated phenolic pigment, garci- nol and its isomer isogarcinol, along with (-)-hydroxycitric acid, cyanidin- 3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-sambubio- side. L-leucine and DNP-L-leucine hy- drochloride have been reported from the leaves.

EtOH (50%) extract of aerial parts exhibited semen coagulant and CNS depressant activity.

Kokum butter contains fatty acids— palmtic 2.0, stearic 57.5, oleic 39.0, linoleic 1.3 and others 0.2%.

Dosage: Fruit—10-20 ml juice; root bark—40-80 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)... garcinia indica

Garcinia Mangostana

Linn.

Family: Guttiferae; Clusiaceae.

Habitat: Native to Malaysia. Now cultivated mainly on lower slopes of the Nilgiris.

English: Mangosteen, Dodol.

Siddha/Tamil: Sulambuli, Mangusta.

Folk: Mangustaan.

Action: Fruit—antileucorrhoeic, astringent, antifungal, antibacterial; used in cystitis, diseases of the genitourinary tract, diarrhoea, tropical dysentery and fevers. Pericarp—used externally for eczema and other skin diseases. Leaves—anti-inflammatory, anti- immunosuppressive, antiprotozoal, antimicrobial.

The plant contains anthocyanin gly- cosides, a benzophenone, maclurin and several prenylated and related xan- thones. The leaves contain terpenoids, xanthones and long chain hydrocarbons.

The pericarp (fruit hull) contains the xanthone derivatives, mangostin, nor- mangostin, beta-mangostin, gamma- mangostin, isomangostin as major constituents.

Mangostin, isolated from the rind of fruit, inhibited primary and secondary responses to adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Mangostin, isoman- gostin and mangostin triacetate exhibited pronounced anti-inflammatory activity in rats both by i.p. and oral routes.

Mangostin also produced antiulcer activity in rats.

Mangostin and some of its derivatives produced CNS depression, characterized by ptosis, sedation and decreased motor activity.

Gamma-mangostin showed more potent radical scavenging and antioxi- dant activity than BHA.... garcinia mangostana

Garcinia Morella

(Gaertn) Desv.

Synonym: G. pictoria Roxb.

Family: Guttiferae; Clusiaceae.

Habitat: Throughout southern India, also in Assam and West Bengal, up to 1,000 m

English: Indian Gamboge.

Ayurvedic: Kankushtha, Tamaal, Taapichha, Ushaare-revand.

Siddha/Tamil: Iravakhinni.

Action: Gum-resin—hydragogue, cathartic, anthelmintic. Used in dropy and amenorrhoea. Causes nausea, vomiting and griping in large doses.

The gum contains morellin, neo- morellin, beta-guttiferin and alpha- guttiferin and their derivatives. The heartwood gave morelloflavone. Seed coat gave morellin, isomorellin and their neo derivatives which exhibited antibacterial and antiprotozoal activity.

Dosage: Gum-resin—50-125 mg. (CCRAS.)... garcinia morella

Garcinia Pedunculata

Roxb.

Family: Guttiferae; Clusiaceae.

Habitat: Forests of northeast Bengal, sporadic in NEFA, Manipur and upper Assam

Ayurvedic: Amlavetasa. Vetasaamla.

Folk: Thaikala (Bengal).

Action: Antiscorbutic, astringent, cooling, cardiotonic, emollient. Used in anorexia, dyspepsia, colic, liver and spleen diseases difficult micturition. Cough and other respiratory disorders, ulcers and skin diseases.

Dry fruits (pericarp) contain the benzophenones, pedunculol, garcinol and cambogin.

The heartwood gave benzophenone and xanthone.

Dosage: Fruit—5-10 ml juice. (CCRAS.)... garcinia pedunculata

Garcinia Xanthochymus

Hook. f. ex T. And.

Synonym: G. tinctoria (DC.) W. F. Wt.

Family: Guttiferae; Clusiaceae.

Habitat: The lower hill forests of Eastern Himalayas, Peninsular India, Orissa, Maharashtra and the Andamans.

English: Egg tree.

Ayurvedic: Tamaal (var.), Vrk- shaamla (var.).

Siddha/Tamil: Kulavi, Malaippachai, Mukki, Tamalam

Folk: Amsul (Maharashtra).

Action: Fruit—anthelmintic, improves appetite. Also used as a car- diotonic. Fruit gave xanthochymol and isoxanthymol (polyprenylat- ed benzophenone derivatives), flavones and xanthones.... garcinia xanthochymus


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