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Schwabe News Volume 4 | Issue 4 & 5 | April & May 2013

Aegle folia & Aegle marmelos

The two drugs are made from this plant namely Aegle folia from leaves and Aegle marmelos from the pulp of the fruits. They are covered by Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India.¹  Because of difference of phyto-chemical contents of the two they are used differently and have been proved homoeopathically as separate medicines.  The early reports are by Dr. S. C. Ghose based on proving of “Folia” by Dr. Pramada Prasanna Biswas of Pabna  (Bengal). Unripe or half-ripe fruit is astringent, digestive and is used in diarrhoea.  Fruit contains marmalosin. It also contain psoralen, a powerful germination inhibitor; young bark contain coumarin 0.03% alkaloids 0.003% and umbelliferone; old bark contain higher and matured bark of Bihar variety gave 0.3% alkaloids; leaves contains essential oils consisting of α-and β-phellandrene².  It is found wild in the sub-Himalayan tract, Central and S. India; often planted all India³.   Leaves also yield  y-sitosterol⁴; Essential oil from leaves had broad spectrum antifungal activity comparable to that of 0.5% hamycin^5,6; extract of fruits lowered blood sugar level in normal rabbits significantly but in diabetic rabbits reduction was insignificant⁷.  Matured leaf is more useful in the preparation of drug than new leaf.

The tinctures have been found to be useful in worried; apathetic; oblivious who makes mistakes in work; headache due to sun and suppression of phlegm, also due to congestion, they catch of cold, tear tricking down the cheek due to cold; dim-sightedness and tumescent eyes (lower eye lid), nose runs; sneezing; bleeding by the suppression of catarrh, reddish gloomy; experience of spasm and neuralgia, swollen tonsil, reddish; sensation as if something is being stuck; difficult to swallow food and pain. The upper stomach, sensitiveness; intended to drink cold water; bleching; hiccough, nausea; flatulence; dropsy; acidity; dyspepsia and anaemia.  Used in spermatorrhoea; frequent noctural emissions; very weak and watery discharge, incapability of cohabitation.  Homoeopathically, aegle folia is proved to be a good medicine but it is not an aphrodisiac. In various skin diseases and particularly, in the skin disease of diabetic patients, this medicine must be considered.  In diabetes, higher blood sugar, blood urea, this medicine may be used without hesitation according to Dr. Banerjee^8,9. An extensive proving was done by Dr. Jugal Kishore and a 24 year long clinical verification was done by Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy.

Aegel marmelos: Apart from above, when ripe it also contains pectin, sugar, tannins, enzymes and alkaline easily digestible Calcium Phosphate, Vitamin A, B12, C and Iron are present in sufficient quantities.  It is laxative due to existence of mucilage; a stomach refresher; removes wind; checks bowels.

Dose:  The dosage of aegle folia mother tinctures in water 3 to 4 times a day according to the nature of patient.

References:

1. Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India, Vol. IV page 05 & Vol. VI page 04, Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
2. J. Indian chem. Soc., 1949, 23
3. CSIR, Second Supplement to Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants with Active Principles, Part 1 (A-K), Publication and Information Directorate, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1992.
4. J. Indian Chem. Soc., 1958, 35, 194
5. Indian Drugs Pharm. Ind. 1977, 12,55
6. Chem. Abstr. 1977, 87, 130449K
7. J. Res. Indian Med. Yoga & Homoeo. 1979, 14, 63
8. S. C. Ghose, Drugs of Hindoosthan, With their Homoeopathic Uses, Provings and Clinical Verifications, Hahnemann Publishing Company Pvt.ltd, 165 Bipin Behary Ganguly Street, Calcutta-700 012, Ninth Edition, Reprint Dec. 1998
9. Banerjee, P 1992, Materia Medica of Indian Drugs, 4th edn, Shiva & Co., Howrah, West Bengal.