Pterocarpus Marsupium is a moderate sized tree with deciduous leaves. The bark is gray, rough, longitudinally fissured and scaly. Older trees exude a gum resin- red in color. Leaves are imparipinnate, leaflets are oblong, flowers appear in great panicules, they are yellow and fragrant, pods are orbicular, flat with wings.
Chemical composition – Contains alkaloids, Pterostilbene tannins, protein, pentosan, pterosupine, pseudobaptigenine, liquiritigenine, isoliquiritigenine, garbansol 5-deoxykaempferol, P-hydroxybenzaldehyde, beudesmol, erythrodirol-3-monoacetate, lepicatechine, marsupol, carpusin, propterol, propterol B- marsupinol. Gum-resin from the bark contains nonglucosidal tannins – Kinotanic acid, Kinonin, Kino-red, catechol, pyrocatechuic acid and small amounts of resin, pectin and gallic acid.
Properties – Antifungal, antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, astringent, cardiotonic, anti- hipertrigliceridemic, anti-cataract.
Recommendation – Diabetes, elephantiasis, diarrhea, leucoderma, rectalgia, cough, dysentery, and bleaching hair, hyperlipidemia, obesity, hypercholesterolemia.
This plant is incorporated in natural remedy DAITAB.