Botanical Name
Terminalia chebula Retz
Family
Combretaceae
Synonyms
Carica citriformis J.Jacq. ex Spreng., Carica citriformis Jacq., Papaya carica Gaertn., Carica papaya var. bady Ake Assi, Carica papaya var. jimenezii Bertoni.
Regional Name
English :Myrobalan, Hindi :Harad, Harar, Sanskrit :Abhaya, Urdu :Halela, Kayastha,Siva, Pathya, Vijaya, Assamese :Shilikha, Bengali :Haritaki, Gujrati :Hirdo, Himaja, Pulo-harda, Kannada :Alalekai, Kashmiri :Halela, Malayalam :Katukka, Marathi :Hirda, Haritaki, Harda, Hireda, Oriya :Harida, Punjabi :Halela, Harar, Tamil :Kadukkai, Telugu : Karaka, Karakkaya.
Part Used
Fruit.
Description
Haritaki is found throughout South East Asia - India,Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand.In southwest China (Yunnan) and Taiwan (Nantou).In India it is found in the Sub Himalayan tracks from Ravi eastwards to West Bengal and Assam, ascending up to the altitude of 1 500 m in the Himalayas. It fruits yellowish-brown, ovoid, 20-35 mm long, 13-25 mm wide, wrinkled and ribbed longitudinally, pericarp fibrous, 3-4 mm thick, non-adherent to the seed, astringent taste.
Phytoconstituents
The fruits contains-Tannins (32-34%) gallic acid, chebulagic acid, punicalagin, chebulanin, corilagin, neochebulinic acid, ellagic acid, chebulinic acid, 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose, 1,6-di-o-galloyl-D-glucose, casuarinin, 3,4,6-tri-o-glloyl-D-glucose, terchebulin).Other constituents include amino acids, betasitosterol,resin,flavanol,glycosides,terpenoids,and other phenolic compounds such as chebulinic acid, ellagic acid & anthraquinones and minor constituents is polyphenols such as corilagin, galloyl glucose, punicalagin, terflavin A, maslinic acid.
Ayurvedic Properties
Rasa :Madhura, Amla, Katu, Tikta, Kasaya, Guna :Laghu, Ruksa, Vipaka :Madhura, Virya :Usna, Karma :Caksusya, Dipana, Hrdya, Medhya, Sarvadosaprasamana, Rasayana, Anulomana
Ayurvedic Applications
Sotha, Arsa, Kasa, Pandu, Aruci, Hrdroga, Prameha, Ddavarta, Vibandha, Jirnajvara, Siroroga, Udararoga, Visamajvara, Tamaka, Svasa, Gumna.
Medicinal Uses
It is used in the treatment of asthma, sore throat, vomiting, hiccough, diarrhea, dysentery, bleeding piles, ulcers, gout, heart and bladder diseases.