ØManages all types of discomforts in the heart region
ØIgnites digestive fire and makes one feeling hungry
ØCleanses the digestive tract off deposited fecal matter
ØInduces Soft purgation
Common Name:
Purging Cassia (Eng.)
Sanskrit Name:
Aragvadha - Means a plant that alleviates all the diseases
Rajvriksha - A fascinating tree
Shampaka - A plant which is always beneficial for mankind
Chaturangula
Aarevata - That removes all the toxins from the body
Vyadhighata - That keeps the diseases away from the body
Kritamala - As it is having the garlands of flowers
Suvarnaka - The plant having a pleasant complexion
Dirghaphala - The plant having long fruits
Swarnabhushana - The plant having yellow flowers those appear to be made up of gold
Lt. Name:
Cassia fistula - Leguminosae
Bio Energetics:
Rasa (Taste) - Madhura (Sweet)
Guna (Characteristics) - Guru (Heavy); Mridu (Soft in action); Snigdha (Unctuous)
Virya(Potency) - Sheeta (Cool and calm)
Vipaka (Post digestion effect) - Madhura (Sweet)
Effect on Tridosha (Three Bio Humors):
It is useful in management of diseases resulting from the aggravation of any of the Dosha. It pacifies the aggravated Vata with in the body while the aggravated Kapha and Pitta are expelled out of the Body.
Chemical Composition:
The leaves of Cassia fistula contain freerhein, glucoside and sennosides A and B. A butanol extract of the powdered stembark contained tannins while the benzeme extract yielded lupeol, β-sitosteroland hexacosanol. From the alcoholic extract of the pods an anthraquinone(fistulic acid) is obtained and identified as 1, 4-dihydroxy-6, 7-dimethoxy, 2-methylanthraquinone-3-carboxylicAcid. Kaempferol and a proanthocyanidin are isolated from the flowers andleucope-largonidin trimer from the bark.
Action According to Ayurveda:
Sramsana - Amaltas expells the aggravated Doshas out of the body
Jwaranuta - Amaltas is useful in management of any type of fever
Hrudaroganuta - Amaltas manages all types of discomforts in the heart region
Udavartanuta - Amaltas relieves from all gaseous discoforts in the digestive system
Shoolanuta -Amaltas manages all types of pains in the abdomen specially related to digestive system.
Ruchyam - Amaltas ignites digestive fire and makes one feeling hungry
Koshtha shuddhikara - Amaltas cleanses the digestive tract off deposited fecal matter
Mridu Virechana - Amaltas induces Soft purgation
Medicinal Value:
Anti-bacterial activity was found in the leaves, stem bark and fruit pulp, the last being the most potent. The ether extract of the pulp exhibited the maximum activity, and in vitro, the extract inhibited the growth of Staph aureus, Staph albus, B.megatherium, Sh. flexneri, Sh. shiga and S. typhi.The extract was found to bemore potent than chloramphenicol.
The ether extract of leaves also showed activity against Staph aurous and Staph albui.
Alcohol and acetone extracts of stem bark of Amaltas were found active against Staph. aureuy, Staph.xAlbum and B. inegathmum.
In vitro, 100 mg of acetone extract of root and stem bark showed-anti fungal action against T.tonsurans, T. rubrum and T.megnini and was more potent than 16g of griscofulyin.
Two flavonoidglycoside fractions isolated from the acetone extract of the root bark also possessed marked anti fungal activity against M. gypseum T. mentagrophytes T.rubrum and T. tonsurans.
Amaltas has been shown to possess antiviral activity against Vaccinia and Newcastle isease viruses. The extracts inhibited the cytopathy of most viruses and also their replication in the cells of the host.
The fruit pulp of Amaltas has laxative activity.
Useful Part:
Flowers; Leaves; Pods; Bark of roots
Doses:
Pods - 5-10 gm (To pacify the aggravated Doshas with in the body) 10-20 gm (To induce mild purgation); Decoction of Bark of roots - 50-100 ml; Flowers - 5-10 gm;
Some combinations with Amaltas:
Aragwadadi Tail; Aragwadadi leha; Aragwadarishta etc.
Some special notes about Amaltas:
Amaltas is the best amongst the plants useful for mild purgation.
(Charaka Samhita)
The therapeutic power of Amaltas gets lowered with boiling so as far as possible it should be taken as cold or hot infusion.
The great sage Charaka has categorized Amaltas as kusthaghna - anti dermatoses, kandughna - anti pruritic and also as recana - laxative.
Vagbhata has mentioned Amaltas as samsamana-pacifies kapha dosha.
Amaltas
