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Simbusak

Sanskrit Name: Simbusaka

Botanical Name: Flemingia bracteata Roxb.

Identification No : SDACH/HG/290

Family Name: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

Vernacular Names:

  • Hindi: Simbusak
  • English: Bracted Flemingia

Habitat & Distribution:
Grows widely in tropical and subtropical parts of India, particularly in the Western Ghats, Assam, and parts of the Eastern Himalayas. Found in forest undergrowth, hilly slopes, and sometimes cultivated for medicinal use.

Morphology

  • Root: Cylindrical, pale brown, woody, slightly aromatic.
  • Stem: Erect or sub-erect, woody at base, covered with glandular hairs.
  • Leaves: Trifoliate, ovate-lanceolate leaflets, pubescent beneath.
  • Flowers: Purple-blue, in long racemes, bracts large and persistent.
  • Fruits: Oblong, hairy pods with two seeds.
  • Seeds: Kidney-shaped, smooth, dark brown.

Varieties:

  • Flemingia bracteata
  • Flemingia strobilifera (often confused but botanically distinct)

Substitute / Adulterant:

  • Sometimes substituted with Flemingia strobilifera due to similar morphology.

Phytochemicals:

  • Isoflavonoids (e.g., Genistein, Daidzein)
  • Flavonoids
  • Tannins
  • Steroids
  • Saponins
  • Glycosides

Karma (Rogaghnata):

  • Deepana
  • Shothahara
  • Rasayana
  • Sandhivatahara
  • Gulmanashaka

Amayika Prayoga / Therapeutic Uses:

External:

  • Paste applied for joint pain and swellings
  • Leaf decoction used as a wash for skin conditions

Internal:

In Skin Diseases.

Part Used:

  • Root
  • Leaves

Dose:

  • Root decoction: 50–100 ml/day
  • Powder (Churna): 3–6 g/day

IUCN Status:

  • Not Evaluated (NE)

Research Updates

  1. 2021 – Phytopharmacological evaluation of Flemingia bracteata root extract for anti-arthritic potential in rats. Published in Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Found significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity.
  2. 2020 – Comparative antioxidant profiling of Flemingia bracteata and Flemingia strobilifera. Showed superior antioxidant properties in bracteata. (Indian Journal of Natural Products)
  3. 2019 – In vitro cytotoxic potential of isoflavones isolated from Flemingia bracteata on breast cancer cell lines. (Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention)
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