Susruta did not mention nalika while caraka (C.S.CI.28/150) and vagbhata (A.H.Ci.17/26 & 26/68,77) described it. Nalika is stated to an aromatic substance which may be one of the species of Litsea. L. chinensis is known as medasaka (maidalakdi).
Botanical description – A small to medicum-sized tree, sometimes attaining a height of 21 m and a girth of 1.8 m; branches quite thick; bark exfoliating in corky scales, pale-brown or dark-grey; wood olive-grey to brownish or yellowish, turing dark and dull with age; leaves coriaceous, obovate, ovate or elliptic-oblong, glossy, 2.5-22.9 cm long; veins in 4-10 pairs; flowers soft, pubescent, brown, in corymbs or umbels; fruits globose-ellipsoid, black when ripe. Flowering during July-August and fruiting later. Found throughout North, East and Central India up to an altitude of 1200 m.
Chemical constituents – Trilaurin, triolein, β-sitosterol, actinodaphnine, tannin, arabinoxylan etc.
Part used – bark, root.
Uses –
Bark is useful in the management of diarhoea; powdered bark is applied to the body for relieving pains due to bruise injuries.
Root is applied externaly for pains, bruises and contusions.
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