Tama Health Dictionary

Tamarindus indica

Description: The tamarind is a large, densely branched tree, up to 25 meters tall. Its has pinnate leaves (divided like a feather) with 10 to 15 pairs of leaflets.

Habitat and Distribution: The tamarind grows in the drier parts of Africa, Asia, and the Philippines. Although it is thought to be a native of Africa, it has been cultivated in India for so long that it looks like a native tree. It is also found in the American tropics, the West Indies, Central America, and tropical South America.

Edible Parts: The pulp surrounding the seeds is rich in vitamin C and is an important survival food. You can make a pleasantly acid drink by mixing the pulp with water and sugar or honey and letting the mixture mature for several days. Suck the pulp to relieve thirst. Cook the young, unripe fruits or seedpods with meat. Use the young leaves in soup. You must cook the seeds. Roast them above a fire or in ashes. Another way is to remove the seed coat and soak the seeds in salted water and grated coconut for 24 hours, then cook them. You can peel the tamarind bark and chew it.... tamarind

Linn. 643

English: Big Marigold, Aztec or African Marigold.

Ayurvedic: Jhandu, Gendaa.

Unani: Sadbarg, Gul-hazaaraa, Gul-jaafari.

Siddha: Thuruksaamanthi.

Action: Whole plant—infusion useful in cold and bronchitis, also in the treatment of rheumatism.

Flowers—alterative; juice used for bleeding piles. Leaves—styptic, applied externally to boils and carbuncles; muscle pains. Leaves and florets— emengagogue, diuretic, vermifuge.

The flowers gave lutein esters of dipalmitate, dimyristate and mono- myristate. Fresh petals gave hydrox- yflavones, quercetagetin and tagetiin.

The plant yields an essential oil containing limonene, ocimene, linalyl acetate, linalool, tagetone and n-nonyl aldehyde as major components.

The aqueous extract of flowers showed activity against Gram-positive bacteria.

Tagetes mmuta Linn., synonym T. glandulifera Schrank (North-west Himalayas; native to South America), known as Stinking-Roger, gives highest yield of the essential oil with high carbonyl content, calculated as tagetone among the Tagetes sp. grown in India.... tamarindus indica

Family: Lauraceae.

Habitat: The subtropical Himalayas, Khasi and Jaintia Hills.

English: Indian Cassia, Lignea.

Ayurvedic: Tejapatra, Patra, Patraka, Utkat, Tamaalpatra, Naalukaa, Naalikaa.

Unani: Saleekhaa, Saazaj Hindi (Also equated with Zarnab/Telispattar by National Formulary of Unani Medicine, Part I.)

Siddha/Tamil: Talishpattiri (now equated with the leaf of Abies webbiana); Lavangappattiri.

Folk: Tejpaata.

Action: Leaf—Carminative, antidiarrhoeal, spasmolytic, an- tirheumatic, hypoglycaemic. Essential oil—fungicidal.

The oil from bark contains cin- namaldehyde (70-85%) as major constituent. (See.C.cassia.) Leaves from Nepal yield a volatile oil, containing mainly linalool 54.66%; cinnamalde- hyde 1.16%, alpha-and beta-pinene, p- cymene and limonene.

Cinnamomum wighti Meissn. is also equated with Tejapatra. The bud, known as Sirunaagappoo in Siddha/ Tamil, is used as Naagakeshara (black var.). (Naagakeshara is obtained from Mesuaferra and Dilleniapentagyne.)

C. impressinervium Meissn. (Sik- kim) and C. obtusifolium (Roxb.) Nees (the Central and Eastern Himalayas up to 2,100 m, Assam and Andaman Islands) are related species of Cinnamo- mum.

The leaves and bark contain cin- namaldehyde.

Dosage: Dried leaves—1-3 g powder. (API Vol. I.)... cinnamomum tamala

(Indian) One who is desired Tamannah, Tamana, Tamanah, Tammana, Tammanna... tamanna

(Hebrew / Sanskrit) From the palm tree / a spice

Tamarah, Tamarra, Tamarya, Tamaria, Tamaira, Tammara, Tamora, Temara, Tamari, Tamarie, Tamura, Tymara, Tomara, Tamary, Tamarey, Tamera, Tamerra, Timera, Tamarae, Tamaree, Tamar, Tamor, Tamour, Tamer, Tameria, Tammera, Tamerai, Tamoya, Tameran, Tamyra, Tamyria, Tamra, Tammra, Tamira, Tamirra, Tamiria, Tamarla, Tamarsha, Tamijo, Tammy, Tamy, Tami, Tamie, Tamee, Tamey, Tammey, Tammee, Tamlyn, Tamya, Tamia, Tameia, Tamiya, Tamilyn, Tamryn... tamara

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica).

Plant Part Used: Fruit pulp, leaf, root, branch.

Dominican Medicinal Uses: Fruit pulp: aqueous extract, orally, for insomnia, hormonal imbalance, hot flashes and nightsweats. Leaf, bark, branch: decoction, orally, liver, kidney and prostate disorders and hepatitis.

Safety: Fruit pulp: widely consumed and generally considered safe; fruit or seed pods may contain an irritating, hypoglycemic alkaloid. Bark/leaves: insufficient information available.

Drug Interactions: Ibuprofen (fruit extract increases bioavailability).

Laboratory & Preclinical Data: In vivo: antidiabetic (seed extract), anti-inflammatory (plant extracts), colonic cell proliferation effects (fruit pulp).

In vitro: antioxidant (plant extract).

* See entry for Tamarindo in “Part 3: Dominican Medicinal Plant Profiles” of this book for more information, including references.... tamarindo

Exorcism, Protection... tamarisk

Rottl.

Family: Tamaricaceae.

Habitat: South India, in river beds.

Ayurvedic: Maachika (related species).

Folk: Jhaau.

Action: Galls—astringent. Leaves— decoction is given for treating enlarged spleen; also cough.... tamarix ericoides

(African) Pageant winner Tamasha, Tomosha, Tomasha, Tamashia, Tamashya... tamasha

(Linn.) Karst.

Synonym: T. articulata Vahl. T. orientalis Forsk

Family: Tamaricaceae.

Habitat: Saline soils of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

English: Athel, Tamarisk.

Ayurvedic: Maacheeka, Maachikaa.

Unani: Maayin Khurd.

Siddha/Tamil: Sivappattushavukku.

Folk: Laal jhaau. Galls—Chhoti- Maayin.

Action: Galls—astringent. Contain 50% tannin. Bark—contains 14% tannin.

Galls used as a substitute for oak- galls and sumac.

Galls contain polyphenols—gallic acid, ellagic acid, dehydrodigallic acid, dihydrojuglone-5-glucoside, isoferulic acid and juglanin; flavonoids including quercetin, its glucoside, isoquercitrin, its methyl derivative, tamarixetin and tamarixin.... tamarix aphylla

Roxb.

Family: Tamaricaceae.

Habitat: Throughout in river beds and near sea-coasts in Tamil Nadu.

Ayurvedic: Maachikaa (related species).

Siddha/Tamil: Nirumari.

Folk: Jhaau. Galls—Maayin.

Action: Twigs and galls—astringent. Tannin content—leaves 8%, twig- bark 10%, galls 50%.

The leaves gave tamarixetin, kaemp- feride, quercetiin and D-mannitol. Aerial parts contain trans-2-hydroxy- methoxycinnamic acid and isorham- netin. Hexane extract gave hentriacon- tan-7-ol.

The flavones (tamaridone and tama- done) have also been isolated from ethanolic extract, along with hexaco- syl-p-coumarate, gardenin, nevaden- sin and apigenin. Gardenin B exhibited antiviral and anti-invasive activity against solid tumours.... tamarix dioica

Roxb.

Synonym: T. troupii Hole. T. gallica auct. non Linn.

Family: Tamaricaceae.

Habitat: North Indian saline or water-logged soils; on sandy banks in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and South India.

English: Takut Galls.

Ayurvedic: Jhaavuka, Bahugranthi- kaa, Shaavaka.

Unani: Maayeen Kalaan (large galls), Maayeen Khurd (small galls).

Siddha/Tamil: Sirusavakku.

Folk: Jhaau.

Action: Galls—astringent, given internally in dysentery and diarrhoea. Infusion used as a gargle for sore throat. Decoction applied to foul and sloughing ulcers. Pulverized galls, mixed with Vaseline, used for piles and anal fissures. Manna— mild laxative and expectorant. Tannin content—galls 40-50%, bark 15.3%; tannin and non-tannin ratio, quite high as compared to oak bark.

Alcoholic extract of the whole plant exhibited antiallergic activity.

Dosage: Gall, leaf, root—1-3 g powder. (CCRAS.)... tamarix indica