Acacia concinna (Willd.) DC.

Synonym:

A sinuata (Lour.) Merrill;

A. rugata (Lamk.) Ham.

Family:

Mimosaceae.

Habitat:

Tropical jungles throughout India, especially in the Deccan.

Ayurvedic:

Saptalaa, Shitalaa, Saatalaa, Shrivalli, Kantvalli.

Unani:

Shikaakaai, Kharunb Nabti.

Siddha/Tamil:

Seekai, Sigakai.

Folk:

Ban-Reethaa.

Action:

Febrifuge, expectorant, emetic, spasmolytic, diuretic, antidiarrhoeal. Leaves—an infusion is given in malarial fever. Pods and seeds—decoction is used to remove dandruff (known as Shikaakaai), extensively used as a detergent. An ointment is used for skin diseases. Bark—extract is used in leprosy.

The bark yields a saponin which, on hydrolysis, yields lupeol, alpha-spinasterol and acacic acid lactone. Pods also yield saponins (20.8%). Sugars identified are glucose, arabinose and rhamnose.

The leaves contain alkaloids, nicotine and colycotomine, a triterpenoid saponin and oxalic, tartaric, citric, succinic and ascorbic acids.

The bark saponins are spermicidal, also haemolytic and...