Shorea robusta Health Dictionary

Gaertn. f.

Family: Dipterocarpaceae.

Habitat: North, east and central India.

English: Sal tree. Oleoresin: Sal Dammer or Bengal Dammer.

Ayurvedic: Shaala, Saalasaara, Dhuupa-vriksha. (Substitute: Vateria indica.)

Siddha/Tamil: Kungiliyam, Venkungiliyam (resin).

Action: Fruit—a paste is prescribed in diarrhoea. Resin—astringent, detergent; antidiarrhoeal and antidysenteric. Essential oil of Sal resin—antiseptic. Used for skin diseases.

The bark contains 7-12, young leaves 20, twigs and leaves 22, and powder dust 12% tannin. The spray-dried aqueous extract of the bark contains 39.6% of tannins with a trans/non-trans ratio of 0.73. The tannins are of pyrogal- lol type. Oleanolic acid has also been isolated from the bark.

Several triterpenoids have been isolated from the resin. Hydroxy-hopano- ne, dammarenediol II (20S) and dam- marenolic acid are reported to exhibit antiviral activity against Herpes simplex. The resin on dry distillation yields an essential oil, known as Chuaa Oil. It consists of 96.0% neutral and 3.0 and 1.9% phenolic and acidic fractions respectively. Non-phenolic portion of the oil is reported to have a depressing effect on the central nervous system, the phenolic portion is less effective.

Dosage: Heartwood, flower—3- 5 g powder; 50-100 ml decoction; resin—1-3 g. (CCRAS.)