Supplier From
Jodhpur,
Rajasthan,
India
Supplier From
Jodhpur,
Rajasthan,
India
Botanical Name - Saraca asoca
Category - Medicinal
Form - Dry
Part Used - Bark, Seed, Flowers
General Information - Ashok or Ashoka (which is a Sanskrit term meaning one without sorrow or grief) also called Ashokbriksh and botanically known as Saraca asoca (Roxb.) W. J. de Wilde or Saraca indica L. is among the most ancient medicinal plants known in India. It belongs to the family Caesalpiniaceae. Saraca asoca (Roxb.) has been regarded as a universal panacea in old Indian Ayurvedic texts and has especially been used to manage gynaecological complications and infections besides treating haem-morhagic dysentery, uterine pain, bacterial infections, skin problems, tumours, worm infestations, cardiac and circulatory problems. Almost all parts of the plant are considered pharmacologically valuable. Extensive folkloric practices and ethnobotanical appli-cations of this plant have even lead to the availability of several commercial S. asoca formulations recom-mended for different indications though adulteration of these remains a pressing concern. Though a wealth of knowledge on this plant is available in both the classical and modern literature. The tree is found mainly throughout India, especially in West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya and Maharashtra9. It is also widely distributed across the Western Ghats (both South and Central), the Sahyadri region and throughout the Himalayas.
Phytochemicals- "Bark of S. asoca is the most important organ for its medicinal value. It is known to contain flavonoids, tannins, steroids, volatile oil, glycosides, steroidal gly-cosides such as Beta-sitosterol glucoside, reducing sugars, and many compounds of potassium, sodium, cal-cium, aluminum, strontium, calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphate. Powdered bark also carries cellular species such as tracheids, stone, parenchyma, sieve tubes and other cells.
leaves of S. asoca have remained the next best investigated plant tissue from the metabolic profile standpoint. They have been reported to contain alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, poly-phenolics, glycosides and many car bohydrates.
The flower s of S. asoca have been shown to contain tan-nins, flavonoids, saracasin, saracadin, waxy substances, carbohydrates, proteins and steroids
Seeds of S. asoca have been reported to contain various fatty acids such as oleic, linoleic, palmitic and stearic acids; sterols such as catechol and epicatechol; and a fla-vonoid, leucocyanidin.
Fruits have been previously reported for the presence of various fatty acids such as oleic, linoleic, palmitic and stearic acids; sterols like catechol and epicatechol, and a flavonoid, leucocyanidin."
