BILVA
Botanical Name—Aegle marmelos Linn. Corr
Family-RUTACEAE
Family-RUTACEAE
Names in different languages
Hindi- Bel; Telugu. Maredu; English- Bael tree;
Malayalam & Tamil- Vilvam or kuvalam; Kannada- Bilapatre
Synonyms—Malurah, sãñdilya, sailusa, sriphala, Gandha garbha, Sadãphala, Mahã kapittha, Kantaki, Granthilã.
Classification according
to Caraka, Susrutha & Vagbhata
Caraka Sothahara,
Arsoghna, Asthãpanopaga
Susruta Varunãdi,
Ambasthãdi, Brhat Pancamüla
Vagbhata Varunãdi,
Arnbasthãdi
Introduction
This plant have
religious background in India & Nepal. Bilva is called Siva Druma (Lord
Siva’s favorite tree) is held sacred by Hindus, the leaves being offered in
prayers to Siva & Pãrvati.
Varieties &
adulterants
Morphology
It is a medium to fairly
large sized deciduous and glabrous tree up to 6-8 high and 1-1.2 m in
girth. Branches armed with straight sharp, axillary 2.5 cm long spines. Bark
soft, corky, light grey.
Leaves alternate,
trifoliate, occasionally digitately five foliate. Leaflets ovate or ovate
lanceolate, crenate, acuminate, lateral sessile, terminal long petioled.
Flowers large, greenish
white, sweet scented in short axillary panicles.
Fruits globose, grey or
yellow, rind woody.
Seeds-numerous, oblong,
compressed, em-bedded in sacs covered with thick orange coloured sweet pulp.
Distribution &
Habitat
found almost throughout
India.
chemical constituents
Root—xanthotoxin,
umbelliferone, marmesin, marmin, skimmin etc.
Heart wood—
furoquinoline, marmesin, beta—sitosterol etc. Leaves—essential oil , beta
phellandrene, rutin, marmesinin, aegelin, aegelenine, etc.
Ripe fruits—xanthotoxol,
marmesin, skimmin etc.
Unripe fruits—marmeline,
aegeline, imperatorin, alloimperatorin and xanthotoxol etc.
The properties of unripe
and ripen fruit are tabulated:
|
Ripen fruit
|
Unripen Fruit
|
|
1. Sweet, aromatic, cooling, alterative,
nutritive and laxative (Nadkami)
|
I .Astringent, digestive, stomachic little
constipative (antidiarrhoeal) stimulant, antipyretic, antiscorbutic, bitter
and pungent (Nadkarni).
|
|
2. Acrid, bitter, sweet, appettiser, binding tonic, febrifuge,
causes biliousness and removes vata & kapha, good for heart (Kirtikar
& Basu)
|
2.Oily, bitter, acrid, sour, tasty but
difficult to digest, appetizer, binding, cures dysentery, removes pain
(kirtikar & Basu).
|
Properties— (Apakva phala)
Rasa Kaãya, Tikta
Guna Laghu, Riksa
Virya Usna
Vipãka Katu
Karma Vata-kapha hara, Grãhi, Dipana-Pacana
Chemical composition :
Fruit pulp contains mucilage, pectin, sugar, tannin, volatile oil, gum. bitter
principle and 2% ash, It contains an active principle known as marmelocin.
Fresh leaves contain an essential oil- Seeds contain oil which is laxative.
Roots, leaves and bark contain an astringent principle.
External uses : In conjunctivitis, leaf juice is put in the
eyes and paste of leaves is applied over the eyelids, In disease conditions
like swelling, pain in the ribs.
Internal uses :
Nervous system : root tranquilizes the nerves hence it is used in vata
disorders, insomnia, epilepsy and hysteria. -
Digestive system: Unripe fruit is an appetizer, digestant and
astringent. Ripe fruit is astringent and a sweet, mild laxative. An excess dose
causes constipation. It is very heavy 10 digest and vitiates doshas,
gives bad odour to flat, is. Leal juice is live, stimulant. Root bark, unripe
fruit are useful in loss of appetite. diarrhoea. dysentery, pain in abdomen.
Unripe fruit ground to a paste and cooked with sugar is very beneficial in
bleeding piles.
Circulatory system : It is a cardiac tonic, haemostatic and
alleviates swelling, hence the root is used in cardiac debility and
palpitations. Fruit has haemostatic property. Root bark and leaf juice are used
to alleviate oedema.
Respiratory system: It is kaphashamak hence used in cold, cough.
dyspnoea. Decoction of leaves is given for cold.
Urinary system: Juice of
bel leaves helps in reducing blood sugar. Leaf juice is given in ikshumeha.
Mixture of fresh fruit pulp and kankol is used in gonorrhoea. It alleviates
swelling and pain. Mixture of bark juice and sweet cumin seeds is beneficial in
shukrameha.
Reproductive system: Bilva root alleviates the inflammation of
uterus, hence it is used in pregnancy. leucorrhoea and puerperal disorders.
Temperature : Bilva root and leaves are febrifuge. Decoction of roots is
given in intermittent fever while leaf juice can be given in all types of
fever.
Satmikaran : it is a bitter tonic. Its root and leaves have an anabolic
effect on all body tissues. Since the ripe fruit is sweet to taste, it also
acts as a tonic.
Formulations : Bilvamooladi gutiks.
Aduleteration: Bel fruit pulp is adulterated by adding kapitiha fruit pulp. Bel fruit pulp has cavities unlike kapittha.
Main action : Roots are useful in vata disorders, fruit iv disorders of internal channel. Bel, durva and tulsi re used in vata, pitta and kapha disorders especially.
Aduleteration: Bel fruit pulp is adulterated by adding kapitiha fruit pulp. Bel fruit pulp has cavities unlike kapittha.
Main action : Roots are useful in vata disorders, fruit iv disorders of internal channel. Bel, durva and tulsi re used in vata, pitta and kapha disorders especially.
Srotogamitva
Dosha : Vitiates pitta, alleviates kapha, vata.
Dhatu : Meda. rakta (astringent, hypoglycemic), rasa.
Mala : Purisha mutra (astringent), (leaves are antidiuretic).
System : Digestive system, reproductive system (uterus).
Dhatu : Meda. rakta (astringent, hypoglycemic), rasa.
Mala : Purisha mutra (astringent), (leaves are antidiuretic).
System : Digestive system, reproductive system (uterus).
Indications— Atisãra, Grahani, Prameha, , Agnimandya , Arsas
Part Used— Fruit, leaves, root
Dosage—Decoction 50-100 ml, powder 3-5g, leaf juice 10-20 ml
Therapeutic Uses—
(1) Pittãtisära— Fruit pulp of Bilva and Madhuka are mixed with sugar and honey and administered with rice-water (S.S.Ut.40).
(2) Grahani— Paste of unripen fruit of Bilva is given with unlhi and Guda while the patient is on butter milk as diet (V.M.).
(3) Kãmalã—Leaf juice of
Bilva is given along with Tnktu
(C.S.Ci.16)
(C.S.Ci.16)