Holarrhena Antidysenterica – Health Benefits, Therapeutic Uses (Kutaja, Kurchi)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Holarrhena Antidysenterica is a very significant herbal medicine in Ayurvedic and Unani and other Indian system of medicine. Its seeds and bark have been used in British Materia Medica also for a long time. This meticulous herb was used to treat a variety of infectious diseases, especially diarrhea, dysentery, and skin disease. It is also reported that it is efficacious against Staphylococcus aureus, Entamoeba histolytica and Escherichia coli. Acharya Charak mentioned this plant, is used to induce emesis. Vagabhatta considered this plant as best drug for the treatment of bleeding piles.

During the festival of “Nabanna” (new crops), people of Odisha state of India offer leaves of this plant along with rice to the goddess.

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2. Common Names

• Family – Apocynaceae
• Hindi Name – Kurchi, Kuda, Kudaiya
• English Name – Kurchi bark tree, Conessi, Tellicherry

3. Vernacular Names

• Bengali – Karachi
• Assamese – Dudhkuri
• Gujarati – Kudo
• Kannada - Korachi
• Malayalam – Kodagapala
• Marathi – Kuda
• Tamil – Veppalai
• Telugu – Kodisepala
• Oriya – Kurei

4. Synonyms

• Indra – It refers to synonyms of Lord Indra.
• Mahagandha – The plants bear sweet-scented jasmine-like flowers.
• Panduradruma – The bark of this plant is pale.
• Sangrahi – It has grahi action and is used in diarrhea and dysentery.
• Varatikta – It is considered as potent bitter drug.
• Shakra – It is a potent drug.
• Vranaghni – It heals wound and abcess.

5. Classical Categorization

• Charak Samhita - Arshoghna
• Dhanvantari Nighantu – Shatapushpadi varga
• Sushrut Nighantu - Astapanopaga
• Madanpal Nighantu – Abhayadi varga
• Kaiyadev Nighantu – Oshadi varga
• Raj Nighantu – Prabhadardi varga
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Guduchyadi varga

6. Distribution

This plant is found throughout the country, especially in Odisha, and deciduous forests of tropical Himalaya up to 900 to 1200 m altitude. It is also found in subtropical and tropical regions of Asia and Africa.

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7. Morphology

It is a small tree of 2 to 10m in height with milky latex.

Stem bark – The stem bark is greyish-brown and rough. The stem is white and soft.

Leaves – Simple, opposite, sessile, elliptic, or ovate, it is oblong in shape, entire margin, smooth, shortly petiolate, lamina 10-20 cm x 6-10cm, its base is obtuse, often round or acute, its nerves are in 10 to 14 pairs.

Flower – White, small, and arranged in a cluster in terminal corymbose cyme, jasmine-like smell, petals are salver shaped and overlap on right side. The calyx lobe is 2.5 to 3mm long, oblong-lanceolate, acute and ciliate. Corolla puberulous outside, tube 8 to 13 mm long, slightly inflated near the base over the stamens, mouth not closed with ring of hair, throat hair inside. Lobes about equaling the tube, oblong, round at the apex, and pubescent.

Fruits – Found in pair, elongate, curved, cylindrical, free long follicles, terete, coriaceous, and obscurely lone lose, usually with dotted white spots.

Seeds – Many flat seeds with brown hairs are found in dried fruit, bitter is taste, 8mm long or more, linear oblong, 25 to 30 seeds found in a follicle.

8. Types

As per Acharya Charak, Holarrhena Antidysenterica has two types:

• Pumkutaja (male holarrhena): Big fruits, white flower, smooth leaves.
• Strikutaja – (female holarrhena): Blackish and reddish flower, very small stalk of flower and fruits.

9. Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa (Taste): It has Tikta, Kasaya (bitter, astringent) taste.

Virya (Potency): It is Sheeta in nature (cold).

Vipaka (Post-digestive taste): It is Katu (pungent) taste.

Guna (Qualities) – Laghu, Ruksha

10. Chemical Constituent

The bark contains 2% of alkaloids, namely, conessine, conkurchine, kurchine, holarrhemine, holacetin, kurchicine, kurchinin, norholadiene. The presence of alkaloids, anthraquinones, coumarins, flavonoids, saponins, sterols, tannins, and terpenes.

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11. Identity, Purity, and Strength

• Foreign Matter – Not more than 2%
• Total Ash – Not more than 7%
• Acid-insoluble ash – Not more than 1%
• Alcohol-soluble extractive – Not less than 18%
• Water-soluble extractive – Not less than 10%

(Source: The Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia of India 1989)

12. Ayurvedic and Pharmacological Actions

Ayurvedic Action

Its Ayurvedic actions are appetizer, digestive, astringent, absorptive, reduce bleeding, prevent cardiac disease, antidermatosis. As per Kaiyadev Nighantu, the flower of Kutaja has sheeta virya, tikta and kasaya rasa, laghu guna, and deepan actions while its fruit has katu and tikta rasa, anushna Virya and deepan, panchan and grahi action.

• Doshakarma – Kaphapittashamaka
• Dhatukarma – Raktapittashamaka
• Malakarma - Sthambhana

Pharmacological Action

Its Pharmacological actions are astringent, anthelmintic, stomachic, diuretic, antibacterial, amoebicidal, antidiabetic, antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, analgesic, antioxidant, antimalarial, immunomodulatory, and antimutagenic. 

13. Health Benefits

Root and bark are used in amoebic dysentery, diarrhea, colic dyspepsia, piles, skin disease, hemorrhagic disease, thirst, and worm infestation.

Flowers are used in hemorrhagic disease, kushta, atisara, skin disease, fever, and gout.

The stem bark is found effective against various infections, antidontalgic, chest infection, piles, dyspepsia.

Seeds are astringent, febrifuge, antidysenteric, anthelmintic, carminative, and used in diarrhea.

The leaves are used in chronic bronchitis, and locally for boils and ulcers.

14. Therapeutic Uses

Skin disease – External application of paste of Holarrhena Antidysenterica, Lodhra, Dhataki, Karanja and Jati are used to cure kustha and other skin diseases. Decoction of Holarrhena Antidysenterica cures all types of skin disease.

Wound – Decoction prepared with Holarrhena Antidysenterica, Arka and Karaveer is used to heal the wound.

Diarrhea - Holarrhena Antidysenterica is the best drug for diarrhea, decoction of Shyonak and bark of Kutaja cures all types of diarrheas. Seeds are pounded with honey and Ativisha, and the paste is taken with rice water.

Bleeding piles - Holarrhena Antidysenterica is used, decoction of ginger and Holarrhena Antidysenterica checks mucus and blood.

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15. Official Part Used

Bark, seeds, flowers, leaves.

16. Doses

• Powder – 3 to 6g.
• Decoction – 50 to 100ml.

17. Formulations

Kutajaghana vati, Kutajarista, Kutajavaleha, Kutajasura, Mahamanjishtadi kashayam, Stanyashodhana Kashaya and Patoladi choornam.