Acacia catechu & Acacia chundra (khadira & KADARA)

Khadira was used as fire wood and as vessel/container. The extract of heart wood (Khadirasara) is used for external wearing like precious stone. Ayurvedic texts quote Khadira twing as the best among the tooth brush which is astringent (Kashya) in taste. Caraka described it as the best drug for Kushtha (skin diseases). Kushthaghna term is used by Caraka at once (C.S.Ci. 23/53) but it is considered to be Cakramarda. Gayatri is the synonym used by Sushruta and Vagbhata. Another name Balapatra was mentioned by Vagbhata alone (A.H.Ut.39/105). In one context Sushruta described ‘Gayatrya’ denoting one of the varieties of Soma but not Khadira (Vide: S.S.Ci.29/7,31). Vagbhata emphasized its utility as tooth brush. Cakradatta describes Khadira in the treatment of Svarabheda.

*Note– It is to be noted that original Khadirasara is the natural secretion (gum resin) of the matured/old trees of A. catechu which is block in colour. But now a days the dried extract of heartwood is considered as KhadirasŒra.

Different varieties– In the Samhitas ‘Khadira’ and ‘Kadara’ are described which are A. catechu and A. suma Buch respectively. In Dhanvantari Nighantu two varieties Khadira and Somavalka are described while Raja Nighantu quotes five varieties viz., Khadira, Somavalka, Tamrakantaka, Vitkhadira and Arimeda. Amarakosha mentioned three varieties viz., Khadira, Vi¢khadira & Sœmavalka. We come across description of ‘Valli Khadira’ in Nighantu Ratnakaram. Bhavamisra quoted Khadira, Kadara and Irimeda.

There are three varieties which are commonly used today. They are: A. catechu; A. sundra and A. catechuoides.

Botanical Description– It is a moderate-sized tree. Bark- dark greyish-brown, nearly 1.3 cm in thickness, exfoliating in long narrow strips. Sapwood yellowish white but heartwood red. Leaves- pinnate with a pair of recurved prickles at base of rachis; pinnae 40-80; leaflets 60-100, small,ligulate. Flowers- dark yellow in cylindrical spikes; pods thin, glabrous, lustrous, straight, strap-shaped, dark brown. (Flowers in rainy season and fruits in winter).

Distribution– In drier regions of sub-Himalayan tract upto 1200m. (Punjab to north-eastern states) Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Major chemical constituents–

Herat wood- catechin, catechutannic acid

Wood- l-epicatechin, (+)- Afzelchin, gossypetin, procyanidin Ac, taxifolin

Gum- L-arabinose, D-galactose, D-rhamnose

Part Used– stem bark, heartwood, flowers

Dosage– Powder of bark 1-3 g, bark decoction 50-100 ml, heart wood -0.5-1g.

Research–

(1) A flavonoid isolated from ethonolic extract of central wood of A. catechu showed hypoglycaemic activity (Chakravarthy et al., 1983).

(2) Cyanidanol (+), the active principle of A. catechu failed to prevent the acute type of hepatitis induced by heavy single dose of CCl4 in rats. The chronic type of damage induced by multiple doses of CCl4 was, however, prevented (Rege et al., 1984b).

(3) Seeds exhibited marked hypoglycaemic activity in normal rats but not in alloxan-induced rats (I.J.M.R.1976).

(4) The ethyal acetate extract of A. catechu is reported to possess hepatoprotective activity (Jayasekhar et al., 1997).

(5) It was tried in the management of lepromatous leprosy (Ojha et al., 1969).