saptaparna

Sanskrit name: सप्तपर्ण:

निरुक्ति : एकस्मिन् वृन्ते सप्त पर्णान्यस्य । (भा.नि.)

Saptaparna (Bp. Ni.): Leaves : 4-7 in a whorl.

Latin name: Alstonia scholaris (Linn.) R. Br.

     Gana/Varga: 

Charaka	Tiktaskandha, Kashayaskandha, Kushthaghna, Shirovirechana Udardaprashamana,
Sushruta	Aragwadhadi, Lakshadi, Adhobhagahara
Bhavaprakasha Nighantu	Vatadi Varga shloka 74, 75
Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India	Part I-Vol I
Dravyaguna Vijnana II ( P.V.)	Vishamajwaraghna page 702-704
Nighantu Adarsha Part I Kutajadi varga	Page 857-861

 Synonyms: 

Based on Swaroopa
Saptahva	Leaves
Shalmalipatraka	Leaves  4-7 in a whorl. 4-7 in a whorl, similar to Shalmali patra.
Shukti parna	Leaves shaped elliptic-oblong as Shukti (oyster shell).
Vishamacchada (Bp. Ni.)	Leaves are usually in odd numbers.
Chatraparna	Leaves spread like umbrella.
Vishala twak (Bp. Ni.)	Bark is thick and dense.
Gucchapushpaka	Fowers in Umbellate panicles.
Sharada (Bp. Ni.)	Flowering during Sharat rutu.
Madagandha	Flowers with intense odour.
Shiroruk	Intense odour of flower produces headache.
Based on Karma
Graha nashana	It cures Grahadosha.
Vishamacchada	It cures Vishama jwara.

Vernacular names: 

Hindi	Shaitan ka jat
Assami	Chatiyan
Kannada	Hale
Bengali	Chatin
Marathi	Satvin
Gujarati	Saptaparna, Satvana
Telagu	Phalagaruda
Punjabi	Satanna
Tamil	Palai
Malayalam	Pala
English	Devil tree, Shaitan wood

Morphology:

Habit : Large evergreen tree with a straight often fluted and buttressed bole, bark grayish brown, rough, lenticellate abounding in bitter milky latex; Leaves : 4-7 in a whorl, coriaceous, elliptic-oblong, pale beneath; Inflorescence : Umbellate panicles, Flowers small, greenish white, numerous in umbellate panicles, corolla tube short, very strongly scented; Fruits : follicles; Seeds papillose with brownish hair at each end. 

Distribution: Throughout India, in deciduous and evergreen forests, also in plains.

Types:- NA

Guna-Karma:                  

Guna	Sara, Snigdha
Rasa	Kashaya, Tikta
Vipaka	Katu
Virya	Ushna
Prabhava	-
Karma
Doshaghnata	Vata-Kapha hara (P.V. Sharma- Kapha-Pittahara; D.N.- Tridoshahara)
Anyakarma	Dipana, Kushthaghna, Jantughna, Raktashodhaka, Vishamajwaraghna, Stanyajanana

 

Prayoga: Vrana, Kushtha, Raktaroga, Jantu, Shwasa, Gulma, Yakrut roga, Prameha, Vishama Jwara

Chemical composition:

Alkaloids,  iridoids,  coumarins,  flavonoids, leucoanthocyanines, 

reducing  sugars,  simple  phenolics,steroids,  saponins  and

  tannins  were  documented  as  the chief chemical constituents

Alkaloids,  iridoids,  coumarins,  flavonoids, leucoanthocyanines,

 

reducing  sugars,  simple  phenolics, steroids,  saponins  and 

tannins  were  documented  as  the chief chemical constituents

Alkaloids,  iridoids,  coumarins,  flavonoids, leucoanthocyanines,

  reducing  sugars,  simple  phenolics, steroids,  saponins  and 

tannins  were  documented  as  the chief chemical constituents

Alkaloids,  iridoids,  coumarins,  flavonoids,

leucoanthocyanines,  reducing  sugars,  simple  phenolics

,

steroids,  saponins  and  tannins  were  documented  as  the

chief chemical constituents

The bark of this plant contains alkaloid ditamine and echitamine, echitenine, echicaoutchin , an amerphous yellow mass, echicerin in acicular crystals, echitin in crystallized scales, echitein in rhombic prisms, resembling an alkaloid ,a fatty acid and fatty resinous substan.

glucoside alstonoside, together with two know isoflavone apioglucosides, formononetin 7-0-Beta-D-apiofuranosyl(1-6)- Beta-D-glucopyranoside and biochanin A 7- 0-Beta-D apiofuranosy –(1-6)-Beta-Dglucopyranoside.

Leaves: alkaloid-scholaricine, picrinine, nareline and alschomine.

 Prayojya Anga: Bark occurs in channelled or occasionally quilled pieces, 3-4mm thick from branches and about 7 mm thick from stem, externally younger bark dark grey to brown, older bark very rough, uneven and much fissured transversely and longitudinally, both marked with numerous rounded or transversely elongated, grey to whitish brown lenticels, internally brownish-buff to dark greyish-brown, somewhat striated and indented, fracture- short and smooth, fractured surface shows a narrow, inner portion traversed by numerous, fine, medullary rays and a varying spongy outer portion.

Sangraha Kala: Not specific.

Matra:  Kwatha churna : 20-30 g.

Vishishta Yoga: Saptachchadadi kwatha, Saptachchadadi taila, Saptaparnasatwadi vati

Amayika prayoga:

Bahya:

1.     Kushtha : Saptaparna Kwatha should be used for Snana, Pana etc. (Cha. Chi. 7)

2.     Dantakrimi : The latex of Saptaparna is filled in cavity. (A.Hru.)

3.     Dushta vrana : The latex of Saptaparna is filled in cavity. (Sho.Ni.)

 

Abhyantara :

1.     Stanyashodhana : Saptaparna Twak kwatha is given (Cha. Chi. 30)

2.     Kasa shvasa : Saptaparna pushpa churna mixed with Pippali churn and Madhu is given for chewing. (Cha. Chi. 17; Su. U. 51).

3.     Sandrameha : Saptaparna Twak kwatha is given (Su. Chi. 11)

4.     Kushtha : Saptaparna Kwatha should be used for Snana, Pana etc. (Cha. Chi. 7)

 

Research :

1.     Antimalarial activity Corialstonine and corialstonidine,alkaloids of Alstonia scholaris,are aagainst P.falciparum.

2.     Antimicrobial activity : crude methanolic extracts of the leaves, stem and root barks of Alstonia scholaris and reported that butanol fractions exhibited broader spectrum of antibacterial activity.

3.     Broncho-Vasodilatory activity : The ethanolic extract of the leaves of A. scholaris showed broncho - vasodilatory activity.

4.     Immunomodulatory activity : The aqueous extract at 100 mg/kg b.w. increased lytic activity of peritoneal exudate cells against Escherichia coli.

5.     Wound healing activity : The extracts promoted wound healing significantly in all the wound models studied. Increased rate of wound contraction, skin breaking strength, granulation strength, dry granulation tissue weight, hydroxyproline and collagen, decrease in the period for epithelialisation and increased collagenation in histopathological section were observed with extracts treated groups. The extracts also significantly decreased the levels of lipid peroxidation.

6.     Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities : The effect of ethanolic extract of leaves of Alstonia scholaris was evaluated in experimental models of pain and inflammation.

Important references: