Bombax Malabaricum: Health Benefits and Therapeutic Uses (Semal, Silk Cotton Tree)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Bombax Malabaricum is a large, deciduous tree, commonly known as the silk cotton tree, Indian red Kapok tree, Semal, Shimul, Shalmali, etc. It is a member of the family Bombacaceae. Mocharasa is the gum of the tree Bombax Malabaricum. The gum is also known as supari ja phool (Areca catechu) in allusion to the fact that children masticate the blunt thorns of this plant, and the flower buds are known as semargulla. Seeds are covered with fine cotton hairs and these hairs are used for stuffing pillows and are called sembhal ki rooae.

Bombax Malabaricum is placed among the five sacred plants of “Panchwati” and is an important multipurpose tree providing medicine, food, fodder, and fiber. Almost all the parts of the plant, including bark, leaves, fruit, flowers, thorns, and seeds are used medicinally.

This plant has a lot of commercial value, wood is used in the manufacturing of matches. The cotton from the fruits of this plant is used commercially for stuffing pillows and mattresses. The floss is also used as an insulating material for refrigerators, soundproof covers, and walls. Young roots, tender leaves, flower buds, fleshy calyces, and gum are eaten. In Uttar Pradesh, flower buds are consumed as vegetables. Roots are roasted over the fire and eaten like sweet potatoes. Leaves and younger twigs are used as fodder.

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2. Common Names

• Family – Bombacaceae
• Hindi Name – Semal, Semar, Shimal
• English Name – Silk Cotton Tree

3. Vernacular Names

• Bengali – Simalu, Semul
• Gujarati – Shemalo
• Kannada – Kempuburunga
• Assamese – Simalu
• Marathi – Shembalsavari
• Malayalam – Mullulavamarum
• Tamil – Elavam
• Telugu – Buruga
• Urdu – Sembhal
• Punjabi – Simble

4. Synonyms

• Chirajivika – The tree has a long life.
• Kantakadhya – It has hard conical thorns.
• Manadruma – It is a very tall tree.
• Picchila – It has shiny juice or resin.
• Puranii – The plant liver for many years.
• Raktapuspa – This is a tree with beautiful red flowers.
• Sthirayu – The plant lives for many years.
• Vahavirya – An efficacious drug used in many disorders.

5. Classical Categorization

• Charaka Samhita – Purishavirajaniya
• Sushrut Samhita – Priyangwadi
• Ashtanga Hridya – Priyangwadi
• Dhanvantari Nighantu – Amradi varga
• Madanpal Nighantu – Vatadi varga
• Kaiyadev Nighantu – Oshadi varga
• Raj Nighantu – Shalmalyadi varga
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Vatadi varga

6. Distribution

Bombax Malabaricum is widely found in temperate Asia, tropical Asia, and Australia. In India, it can be found at altitudes up to 1500m. In peninsular India, the tree is very commonly seen in the dry and moist deciduous forests and also near rivers.

7. Morphology

A tall, deciduous tree, reaching up to a height of 30 to 40m with horizontal spreading branches and buttressed at the base.

Bark – Ash-colored, or silvery grey studded with numerous conical spines.

Leaves – Palmate with about five to seven leaflets radiating from a central point. Leaflets are lanceolate, acute, shiny smooth surface, dark green upper surface, and light green beneath.

Flowers – Red-orange in color, bunched at the tip of leaflets branches.

Fruit – Capsulated, oblong-ovoid in shape, 5 to 7 cm in length, divided into five compartments, unripe green soft, fully ripe blackish brown and hard, containing cotton-like fibers and several black-colored seeds.

Exudate – A brownish-yellow colored extract known as mochras seeps out through the broken crevices of the trunk.

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8. Phenology

• Flowering time – January to March
• Fruiting time – March to May

In February Bombax Malabaricum begins dropping all of its leaves, it is time for flowering and follows a sensational display of large, silky, red flowers at the tips of bare branches. In May, white, cottony strands, from opened fruits, float downward setting on the ground houses and whatever else is in their way.

New leaves do not appear until almost all the flowers have fallen. Even without its flowers, Bombax Malabaricum is still an impressive tree. It displays prickly branches arranged in horizontal tiers. The trunk is rough, straight, and spiny with buttress roots. The trunks of the oldest specimens lose much of their spines. Bombax Malabaricum is rare in cultivation and always impresses tourists and first-time viewers.

9. Types

Bombax Malabaricum is of two types:

One has prickles and is called Kanti Sembhal. The second type has no prickles. The first variety has bluish bark and conical projection in fresh bark with better pharmacological actions.

10. Ayurvedic Properties

• Rasa (Taste): It has Madhura, Kasaya, Tikta (sweet, pungent, astringent) taste.
• Virya (Potency): It is Sheeta in nature (cold).
• Vipaka (Post-digestive taste): It is Madhura (sweet) taste.
• Guna (Qualities) – Laghu, Snigdha, Pichchhila.

11. Chemical Constituent

Leaves contain flavonol, root bark contains lactone, stem bark contains shamimicin and along with lupeol was isolated. Flowers have hentriacontane and gossypol, polysaccharides. Seeds possess palmitic acid, tannin, and lupeol. Gum consists of tannic acid, gallic acid, catechins, starch, protein, etc.

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12. Identity, Purity, and Strength

• Foreign Matter – Not more than 1%
• Total Ash – Not more than 13%
• Acid-insoluble ash – Not more than 2%
• Alcohol-soluble extractive – Not less than 2%
• Water-soluble extractive – Not less than 7%

13. Ayurvedic and Pharmacological Actions

Ayurvedic Actions

It has rejuvenation, reduces hemorrhage, spermatopoetic actions. Bombax Malabaricum is an astringent, and aphrodisiac, that pacifies burning sensation. Its flowers are hemostatic, and its root has constipation, reduced burning sensation, and temperature actions.

The bark is mucilaginous, demulcent, aphrodisiac, diuretic, tonic, slightly astringent, and emetic. Gum is astringent, cooling, aphrodisiac, hemostatic, stimulant, antiseptic, and expectorant. Flowers are laxative, diuretic, astringent, and absorbent.

• Doshakarma – Vatapittashamaka, Kaphakarak
• Dhatukarma – Balya
• Malakarma – Grahi

Pharmacological Actions

It is reported to have actions like analgesics, antioxidant, antiangiogenic, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, anthelmintic, antiangiogenic, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antipyretic, aphrodisiac, cardioprotective, cardiotonic, demulcent, diuretic, emetic, hemostatic, hepatoprotective, laxative, restorative, stimulant, and tonic.

14. Health Benefits

The bark is used for fomenting and healing wounds and skin eruptions. Gum is used for treating diarrhea, dysentery, hemoptysis, menorrhagia, influenza, burning sensation, and piles. Flowers are good for skin diseases, bleeding disorders, diarrhea, chronic inflammation, and wounds. Bombax Malabaricum is used traditionally as an aphrodisiac, nutritive, restorative, and frequent nocturnal seminal emission.

15. Therapeutic Uses

Freckles – Sharp horns of Bombax Malabaricum powdered with milk should be applied to the face. It makes the face clean and smooth.

Wound - Bombax Malabaricum bark, bala root, should be applied to the wound. It removes the burning sensation.

Burning Sensation – The application of the paste of Bombax Malabaricum bark removes the burning sensation.

Aphrodisiac - Bombax Malabaricum is used with cow milk as an aphrodisiac.

Menometrorhagia – Vegetables and Bombax Malabaricum cooked with ghee and rock salt check bleeding.

Bleeding Piles – The gum (2g) mixed with cow’s milk (30ml) is reported to cure bleeding piles.

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16. Official Part Used

Bark, resin, leaves, flowers, thorns.

17. General Doses

• Root Powder – 5 to 10g.
• Flower Juice – 10 to 20ml.
• Gum – 1 to 3g.

18. Formulations

Shalmali ghrita, Chandanaasava, Himasagar taila.