Pistacia Gall: Health Benefits and Therapeutic Uses (Kakrashinghi, Pistacia Integerrima)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Pistacia Gall (Kakrashinghi) is a multibranched, single-stemmed, deciduous shedding tree belonging to the family of Anacardiaceae. It is found in the North-West Himalaya including the Siwalik ranges/Rohilkhand from Indus to Kumaon between 500 and 2500 m altitudes. Typical types of worms make horn-shaped galls on the branches and leaves. These galls are pale greenish-brown or pinkish, elongated, horn-shaped, hollow, twisted, curved, or straight. When young, they are coriaceous, but later become hard.

This gall is caused by the insect Dasia aedifactor. The plant produces resin against insects, they make these galls by sucking juice from the leaves, and galls are called Karkarshringi. The galls are considered a storehouse of secondary metabolites, and hence they have importance in the Indian traditional medicine system.

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2. Common Names

• Family – Anacardiaceae
• Hindi Name – Kakadshingi, kakarsingi
• English Name – Pistacia gall, Crab’s claws

3. Vernacular Names

• Bengali – Kakra, Kakarshingi
• Gujarati – Kakadsingi, Kakra
• Kannada – Kakada
• Assamese – Kakiasrngi
• Marathi – Karkadasringi
• Malayalam – Karkata
• Tamil – Karkata
• Telugu – Kakar shrungi
• Urdu – Kakrasinghi
• Punjabi – Kakar

4. Synonyms

• Karkashringi – The gall resembles the leg of a crab.
• Shringi – It cures many diseases.
• Ajashringi – It looks like the horn of a goat.
• Chakra – Sometimes it is round.
• Karkatakhya – The gall has a crab-like appearance.
• Ghosha – It is bell-shaped.

5. Classical Categorization

• Charaka Samhita – Kasahara
• Sushrut Samhita – Kakolyadi
• Dhanvantari Nighantu – Guduchyadi varga
• Madanpal Nighantu – Abhyadi varga
• Kaiyadev Nighantu – Oshadi varga
• Raj Nighantu – Pippalyadi varga
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Haritakyadi

6. Distribution

It is found in North-West Himalaya including the Siwalik ranges/Rohitkhand from Indus to Kumaon between 800 and 1900 m altitudes. It is native to Asia and is widely distributed in East Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Japan, and China. It is cultivated in Punjab, India.

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7. Morphology

It is a deciduous multibranched tree, having dark grey to blackish bark trees which grow up to 18m.

Leaves – Leaves are 20 to 25cm in length, with or without terminal leaflets are four to five pairs, lanceolate, coriaceous, part or imparipinnate, and base oblique, dark and green color which turns bright red in autumn. The terminal leaflet is much smaller than the lateral ones or is even reduced to micro size. Leaves are very often affected by insect-forming conical galls.

Flower – flowers are small, reddish in color, and are arranged in panicles.

Fruits – Globular with a bony endocarp, apiculate, 5 to 6 mm in diameter, purplish or blue at maturity.

Gall – Characteristic galls are produced on the leafy branches. Galls are pale greenish-brown or pinkish, elongated, horn-shaped, hollow, twisted, curved, or straight. When young they are coriaceous but later become hard.

Bark – Dark grey or blackish.

8. Ayurvedic Properties

• Rasa (Taste): It has Kasaya, Tikta (pungent, astringent) taste.
• Virya (Potency): It is Ushna in nature (hot).
• Vipaka (Post-digestive taste): It is Katu (bitter) taste.
• Guna (Qualities) – Guru, Rukshya

9. Chemical Constituent

Pistacia Gall contains different phytochemicals including alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, sterols, and essential oils.

Gall – Chiefly, it contains resin, two isomeric triterpenic acids, tannins, tetracyclic triterpenes, pistacigerrimones A, B, and C.

Seed – Alpha-piene, beta-piene, camphene, alpha-terpineol, beta-terpineol, aromadendrin, lactonic stearoptene, caprylic acid, amino acid, and protein.

Seed Oil – Hydrocarbons, sterols, titerpenoids.

Leaves, Bark – Tannins

10. Identity, Purity, and Strength

• Foreign Matter – Not more than 2%
• Total Ash – Not more than 7%
• Acid-insoluble ash – Not more than 0.2%
• Alcohol-soluble extractive – Not less than 30%
• Water-soluble extractive – Not less than 30%

11. Ayurvedic and Pharmacological Actions

Ayurvedic Actions

Its main actions are antitussive, anti-hiccough, aphrodisiac, absorbent, appetizer, antipyretics, physical strength promoter, expectorant, swelling reducing, and carminative.

They are bitter in taste, aromatic, and used as expectorant as well as tonic.

• Doshakarma – Kaphavatashamak
• Dhatukarma – Raktarodhaka, balya
• Malakarma – Grahi

Pharmacological Actions

It has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antispasmodic, carminative, antiamoebic, and anthelmintic properties.

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12. Health Benefits

It is mainly used for cough, asthma, pain, vomiting, thirst, anorexia, disease of kaphavata, diarrhea, bleeding disorder, and fever.

These galls are useful in dysentery, ulcers, bronchitis, fever, irritability of tridosha, psoriasis, skin diseases, vitiated conditions of tridosha, dyspepsia, inflammation, pharyngitis, leukorrhea, and general debility. It is also very effective in children at the time of teething. In Pakistan, the galls of Pistacia chinensis are used for the treatment of hepatitis and liver. Roasted galls are taken with honey for cough, asthma, and diarrhea in northern areas of Pakistan.

13. Therapeutic Uses

Cough – Powder of Pistacia Gall should be licked with oil in cough, its powder mixed with ghee, sugar, and honey is taken, followed by intake of milk.

Asthma and Hic-cough – Powder of Pistacia Gall and seed of radish mixed with honey and ghee is given to children to treat asthma.

Aphrodisiac – Paste of Pistacia Gall mixed with milk is given to improve the libido. During this period patient should advised to take a diet mixed with sugar, ghee, and milk.

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14. Official Part Used

Gall

15. General Doses

Gall Powder – 1 to 3g.

16. Formulations

Balachatubhadrachoorna, Chyavanprashaavaleha, Dasamoolarista, Shrungadi choorna, Karkatadi choorna, Khadiradi gutika, Chaturbhadra choorna, Kameswar modak and shatavaryadi ghrit.