Kutz.
Family: Gelidaceae, Rhodophyceae.
Habitat: Indigenous to Japan.
English: Agar Agar, Japanese Isinglass. (Dried mucilaginous extract.)
Folk: Agar-Agar.
Action: Bulk-laxative. Agar-Agar does not increase peristaltic action. Its action is similar to that of cellulose of vegetable foods which aids the regularity of the bowel movement. (Often made into an emulsion with liquid paraffin for use in constipation.)
Most agars consist of two major polygalactoses, the neutral agarose and the sulphonated polysaccharide agaropectin, with traces of amino acids and free sugars.Agar contains a large amount of pectin which may precipitate when exposed to alcohol. (Sharon M Herr.)
Roxb.
Synonym: A. malaccensis Lamk.
Family: Thymelaceae.
Habitat: The hills of Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura.
English: Aloewood, Eaglewood, Agarwood.
Ayurvedic: Aguru, Krimij, Krish- naaguru, Jongaka, Maaliyaka, Loha, Kaalaloha, Asitaka.
Unani: Ood-ul Hindi, Ood Gharqi.
Siddha/Tamil: Akil kattai, Agil.
Action: Heartwood—astringent, carminative, antiasthmatic, anti- diarrhoeal, antidysenteric; used in gout, rheumatism and paralysis; as a stimulant in sexual debility; as a liniment in skin diseases.
The agarwood or eaglewood of commerce is derived from the fungus- infected tree through wounds caused by the species of Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, and also by some of Fungi Imperfecti. Agarwood on distillation yields an essential oil, known as Agar Oil.The essential oil yields a number of agarofurans, sesquiterpene alcohols and spirosesquiterpene alcohols.The stemwood yields sesquiterpe- noids—gmelofuran and agarol; also a coumarinolignan—aquillochin.(Agar is a different drug—extract of a seaweed, Gelidium Amansii, used as a mild laxative.)
Dosage: Heartwood—1-3 g powder. (API Vol. IV.)... aquilaria agallocha
Health Encyclopedia