Terminalia arjuna

Botanical Name

Terminalia arjuna (Roxb. ex DC.) Wight & Arn.

Family

Combretaceae

Synonyms

Pentaptera arjuna Roxb. ex DC.

Regional Name

English : Arjun, Arjuna myrobalan, Hindi : Arjuna, Sanskrit : Kakubha, Partha, Svetavaha, Urdu : Arjun, Assamese : Arjun, Bengali : Arjuna, Gujrati : Sadad, Arjuna, Sajada, Kannada : Matti, Bilimatti, Neermatti, Mathichakke, Kudare Kivimase, Malayalam : Nirmasuthu, Vellamaruthi, Kellemasuthu, Mattimora, Torematti, Marathi : Arjuna, Sadada, Oriya : Arjuna, Punjabi : Arjon, Tamil : Marudam, Telugu : Maddi.

Part Used

Bark

Description

Globally the species is found to be distributed in India and Sri Lanka. Within India it is found in the Sub-Himalayan tracts, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and peninsular India. Arjuna is a large deciduous tree, commonly planted as avenue tree along road sides. Bark available in pieces, flat, curved, recurved, channelled to half quilled, 0.2-1.5 cm thick, market samples up to 10 cm in length and up to 7 cm in width, outer surface somewhat smooth and grey, inner surface somewhat fibrous and pinkish, transversely cut smoothened bark shows pinkish surface, fracture, short in inner and laminated in outer part; taste, bitter and astringent.

Phytoconstituents

Main chemical constitutes are Tannins (25%), Triterpenoid glycosides (arjunetosides I, II, III, IV, arjunine and arjunetein.), Saponins (arjunic acid, arjunolic acid, arjungenin and arjunic acid), Flavonoids (arjunone, arjunolone, leteilin), gallic acid, ellagic acid and Phytosterols.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa : Kasaya, Guna : Ruksa, Vipaka : Katu, Virya : Sita, Karma : Hrdya, Bhagnasandhanakara, Kaphahara, Pittahara, Vrnanasana, Vyanga Hara. Ayurvedic Applications Medoroga, Vrana, Hrdroga, Ksataksaya, Prameha, Trsa, Vyanga. Medicinal Uses Arjuna bark is used in heart diseases, ulcer, consumption, spermaturea, skin diseases, fracture, fatigue, fever, asthma, bronchitis, tumour, intrinsic haemorrhage, anaemia, diabetes, wound, piles, skin diseases, dysentery and diarrhoea.