The New Nation - Internet Edition

Jamayet Ali

Shatamuli is a stout strangling climber with spiny green stems, filiform leaves, bell-shaped yellow-green flowers and a large number of slender tubes. It grows wild in forests and planted in gardens in most of the districts of Bangladesh. It also grows throughout tropical and sub-tropical India and Srilanka, tropical Africa and Java and Australia.

Properties and uses : Asparagus is a strong diuretic that is useful for a variety of urinary problems, including cystitis. Ethanolic extract of aerial parts possesses anti cancer properties. Bark is antibacterial and antifungal. Tuberous roots are used as aphrodisiac, alterative, tonic demulcent, diuretic and commonly prescribed in gastrointestinal disorders like bilious dyspepsia, flatulence, diarrhoea and dysentery.

Root promotes lactation in mothers and appetite and nourishment in children. It is also used in treating acidity and as hair tonic. Juice of the roots taken with milk is useful in gonorrhoea. The plant is also used in diabetes, jaundice and other urinary disorders.

Aqueous and ethanolic extraction of the plant possess strong molluscicidal property ( Medicinal Plants of Bangladesh, Abdul Ghani)

Medicine: Several medicinal properties are atributed to the root It is said to be tonioc and diuretic and useful as a galactagogue. A mixture of honey and fresh root juice is given as a demulcent in dyspepsia.

However Koman states that the action of the drug when administered in dyspepsia was slow and not highly satisfactory. The root is largely used in the preparation of medicated oils, prescribed for nervous and rheumatic complaints (Wealth of India Vol. I)

The root of the plant is used medicinally as a refrigerant, demulcent, diuretic, apharodisiac, antispasmodic, alterative, antidiarrhoeatic and antidysentric. It is used chiefly as a demulcent in veterinary medicine. Baden Powel says that it prevents confluence of small-pox. According to Dr. Irvine the root is used by native physicians as a stimulant and restorative. (Dictionary of the Economic Product of India)

Medicinal Values: The roots are biter, sweet; oleaginous, cooling, indigestible; appetizer; alterative, stomachic, tonic, aphrodisiac, galactagogue, astringent to the bowels; useful in dysentery, tumours, inflammations, biliousness, diseases of the blood and the eye, throat complaints, tuberculosis, leprosy, epilepsy, nightblindness (Ayurveda). The root is slightly sweet, aphrodisiac, laxatic, expectorant, glactagogue, tonic; useful in diseases of the kidney and liver, scalding urine gleet, gonorrhoea (Ynani). The root of this plant is used medicinally as a refrigerant, demulcent, diuretic, aphrodisiac, antispasmodic, alterative, antidiarroeatic and antidysenteric.

It is used chiefly as a demulcent in veterinary medicine. A decoction of the tubers was administered as a stomachic tonic in atonic dyspepsia but the action was found to be slow and the result not encouraging (Indian Medicinal Plants)