Botanical Name : Wrightia tinctoria
Family : Apocynaceae
Identification No.: SDACH/HG/160
Introduction :
Wrightia tinctoria is a flowering plant species in the genus Wrightia found in India, southest Asia and Australia. It is found in dry and moist regions in its distribution. Various parts of the plant have medicinal properties.
Names in different Indian languages :
Kannada : Kodamurki
Hindi : Dudhi, Karayaja
Malayalam : Aiyappala, Kampippaala
Tamil : Veppalai
Telugu : Amkuda
Sanskrit : Stri Kutaja
English : Pala Indigo, Sweet indrajao
Synonyms
कुटजः कूटजः कौटो वत्सको गिरिमल्लिका ॥११६॥कालिङ्गः शक्रशाखी च मल्लिकापुष्प इत्यपि । इन्द्रो यवफलः प्रोक्तो वृक्षकः पाण्डुरद्रुमः ॥११७॥
Properties :
Rasa : Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent)
Guna : Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry), Tikshna (Sharp)
Veerya : Ushna (Hot)
Vipaka : Katu (Pungent)
Karma : Kapha, Vata hara
Morphology :
Deciduous trees; upto 15 m; bark 8-10 mm thick, grey, smooth; outer layer thin, inner layer thick, brittle, creamy; blaze greenish-yellow; latex milky white.
Leaves simple, opposite, distichous, estipulate; petiole 2-5 mm long, stout, glabrous; lamina 3.5-11 x 2-4 cm, oblong-lanceolate or elliptic-ovate; base acute; apex acuminate or caudate acuminate; margin entire, glabrous, glaucous beneath, chartaceous; lateral nerves 5-10 pairs, slender, arched, pinnate, prominent, intercostae reticulate.
Flower bisexual, white, scented, in terminal cymes appearing along with new leaves; pedicel 1.5 mm long, bracts 2, minute; calyx lobes 5, with membranous margin, 2 mm, ovate, obtuse, ciliate, glandular inside; corolla salver shaped, lobes 5, broad lobes 12 x 5 mm, oblong, obtuse, throat with 1-2 series of erect, fimbriate corona scales, tube 1.5-2 mm; stamens 5, insrerted on the mouth of the tube, anthers sagitate, spurred at base, conniving and adhering to the stigma; disc absent; carpels 2, free, many ovuled, style filiform, stigma ovoid, usually with a toothed basal ring.
Fruit of 2 follicular mericarps, 15-45 cm long, slender, smooth, green, cylindric, cohering at the tip; seed 16 mm long, black, commate at one end.
Chemical Constituents :
Wrightial–Triterpenoid chemical,Cycloartenol,Cycloeucalenol,Beta-Amyrin,Beta Sitosterol
Properties :
Anthelmintic: Used as a treatment to destroy parasitic worms.
Anodyne: It is used as a painkiller.
Antipyretic: Remedy for fever.
Aphrodisiac: Used to stimulate sexual desire.
Astringent: Used for skin related problems.
Carminative: Gastric problems.
Depurative: Purifies your body from wastes and toxins.
It is used as a tonic.
Piles & Skin Diseases – It is also used in the treatment of piles and skin diseases like ringworm, leprosy, etc.
Medicine : Decoction of Bark of the plant mixed with sunthi is used for curing piles. For skin diseases, it is used externally.
The bark of the plant, when mixed with cows urine and applied on skin, turns out to be very effective.
Urinary Problems :It is used as an effective remedy for urinary problems
Arthritis : It is used in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis.
Psoriasis : It is an effective treatment for Psoriasis and any other non-specific skin problems.
Karma (Rogaghnata)
- Kushtaghna
- Atisāraghna
- Krimighna
- Raktaprasadana
- Shothahara
- Vranaropaka
Amayika Prayoga / Therapeutic Uses
External
- Latex applied to eczema, psoriasis, and chronic non-healing wounds
- Leaf paste used in skin eruptions and abscesses
Internal
- Bark decoction in diarrhea and IBS
- Powder or extract used in skin disorders and helminthic infections
- Traditionally used in leprosy and non-healing ulcers
Part Used
Bark, Latex, Leaves
Dose
- Churna: 1–3 g
- Kwatha: 30–50 ml
- Latex: 1–3 drops (external use)
- Fresh leaf juice: 10–15 ml
Yoga / Formulations
- Shwethakutaja Churna
- Shwethakutaja Ghana Vati
- Used in several Ayurvedic formulations for skin and digestive disorders
IUCN Status : Least Concern
Research updates
- Anti-psoriatic activity: Ethanolic extract of Wrightia tinctoria leaves showed significant improvement in psoriasis-like lesions in animal models, attributed to its anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory effects.
- Antidiarrheal potential: Studies demonstrate that bark extract inhibits intestinal hypermotility and reduces stool frequency in experimentally induced diarrhea, validating its classical use in atisara.
- Wound healing and antimicrobial action: Latex of Wrightia tinctoria exhibits strong antimicrobial and wound-healing activity when applied topically, due to presence of triterpenoids and flavonoids.
