Amaltas

Botanical Name

Cassia fistula L.

Family

Leguminosae/Caesalpiniaceae.

Synonyms

Bactyrilobium fistula Willd, Cassia bonplandiana DC, Cassia excels Kunth, Cassia fistuloides Collad, Cassia rhombifolia Roxb, Cathartocarpus excelsus G.Don, Cathartocarpus fistula Pers., Cathartocarpus fistuloides (Collad.) G.Don

Regional Name

English : Indian Laburnum, Purging cassia, Hindi: Amaltas, Sanskrit : Krtamala, Vyadhighata, Sampaka, Nrpadruma, Urdu : Khiyar Shambar, Punjabi : Amaltas, Assamese : Sonaroo, Bengali : Sondala, Gujrati : Garamala, Garamalo, Kannada : Aragvadha, Kakke, Kakke-gida, Kakkernara, Kakkedai, Rajataru, Kashmiri : Kriyangal Phali, Malayalam : Konna, Kritamalam, Marathi : Bahava, Garamala, Amaltas, Oriya : Sunari, Tamil : Sarakonrai, Sarak konnai, Sarak kondi, Sharakkonrai, Telugu : Rela.

Part Used

Legume, Fruit pulp, Seeds, Bark, Wood

Description

Amaltas is native to South East Asia, now globally distributed in the Pantropics. Within India, Within India, it is found both wild and cultivated almost throughout ascending to an altitude of 1200 m. in the Himalayas. It is a golden shower medium-sized tree, growing to 10–20 m (33-66 ft) tall with fast growth, throughout India as a wild or cultivated plant, The fruit is a legume, 30–60 cm (12–24 in) long and 1.5–2.5 centimeters (0.59–0.98 in) broad, with a pungent odor and containing several seeds.

Phytoconstituents

Amaltas contain Sugar, mucilage, pectin, Anthraquinones 1.5% & Fistulic Acid. Main chemical components are anthraquinones, fistulic acid, rhein, rheinglucoside, sennosides A and B, phlobaphenes, emodin, chrysophanic acid, fistuacacidin, lupeol, beta-sitosterol and hexacosanol.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa: Madhura, Tikta, Guna: Guru, Vipaka: Madhura, Virya: Usna, Karma: Recana

Ayurvedic Applications

Gulma, Sula, Vibandha, Hrdroga, Prameha.

Medicinal Uses

Amaltas is used in the treatment of Cancer, Fever, Jaundice, Diabetes, skin diseases, wound, rheumatic ailments, erysipelas, constipation, diarrhea, convulsions, delirium, dysuria, epilepsy, gravel, hematuria, pimples, and glandular tumors.