Family Malvaceae.
Habitat Grown as an ornamental. Ayurvedic Tundikera.
Folk Bana-Kapaasi. Raan-bhendi (Maharashtra).
Action Flowers—used for cutaneous diseases. Roots and fruits— used for treating gonorrhoea and syphilis.
Gossypol is reported to be present in the plant—roots 2.75, flower buds 1.95, seeds 1.74, leaves 0.98 and stems
0.16%. The flowers contain quercetin and protocatechuic acid.
Thevetia peruviana (Pers.) K. Schum. 659
Thespesia populnea
Soland. ex Correa.
Synonym Hibiscus populneus Linn. Family Malvaceae.
Habitat Coastal regions of India
and the Andamans; and also grown as an ornamental.
English Portia tree, Tulip tree, Umbrella tree, False Rosewood.
Ayurvedic Paarisha, Kapitana, Paarshvpippala, Gardabhaanda.
Siddha Poovarsu.
Action Specific for skin diseases. Root, fruit and leaf—used in psoriasis, scabies and other cutaneous diseases. Lupenone, lupeol and alkanes show activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Bark— used for the treatment of haemorrhoids and chronic dysentery. Leaf— anti-inflammatory.
The flowers gave populnetin, herbacetin, populneol, quercetin and its glycosides, kaempferol and its glycosides, rutin, gossypol, beta-sitosterol and its glycosides, nonacosane, lupenone, myricyl alcohol, lupeol and gossypetin.
Presence of thespesin (0.4%) and herbacetin has been reported from fruits. Thespesin has been proved to be optically active gossypol. Gossypol occurring in cotton plant is optically inactive, whereas the gossypol from T populnea has a high dextro-rotation. It exhibits antifertility, anti-tumour, anti-amoebic and anti-HIV activities.
The ethanolic extract of fruits showed antiviral and anticancer activity in mice.
Thevetia peruviana
(Pers.) K. Schum.
Synonym T nerifolia Juss. ex Steud.
