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Herbs & Plants

Cassia Tora

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Botanical Name: Cassia Tora/Cassia Obtusifolia
Family Name: Caesalpinaceae

Local Name:Puwad, Chakunda

Popular Name(s): Foetid Cassia, Tora, Sickle Senna, Sickle Pod, Coffee Pod, Tovara, Chakvad
English Name: Foetid cassia, The Sickle Senna, Wild Senna
Common (Indian) names:
Hindi: Charota,Chakvad,Chakavat.
Bengali & Oriya: Chakunda
Gujrati: Kawaria
Canarese: Gandutogache
Malyalam: Chakramandrakam,takara
Marathi: Takala
Sanskrit : Chakramarda,Dadmari,Dadrughra,Taga
Tamil: Tagarai
Telugu: Chinnakasinda

Parts Used: Leaves, Seeds, Roots

Habitat: Grows in dry soil throughout tropical parts of India.In India it occur as wasteland rainy season weed.

Description:
It is an annual foetid herb, 30–90 cm high .
Leaves: pinnate, up to 10 cm long rachis grooved, conical gland between each of two lowest pairs of leaflet, leaflets in 3 pairs, opposite, obovate, oblong and base oblique.
Flowers: In pair in axils of leaves, petals five, pale yellow.
Fruit: Pod, Obliquely separate.
Seed: 30-50 rhombhedral
Flowering time: After the monsoon rains (in Indian conditions)

Uses: Cassia is an Ayurvedic herb and is also used extensively in Chinese medicine. Cassia grows in hot, wet, tropical climates both wild and commercially. The stems are cut down when the bark is mature. The bark is removed in short lengths and then dried. Cassia bark is aromatic, again similar to Cinnamon, but differing in both strength and quality. Cassia bark is darker, thicker and coarser.

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It is used as a coffee substitute and has a maturing and anodyne action. Useful in treating skin diseases like ring worm and itch and psoriasis.

Chemical Constituents:-

Roots: 1,3,5-trihydroxy-6-7-dimethoxy-2-methylanthroquinone and beta-sitosterol.

Seeds: Naptho-alpha-pyrone-toralactune, chrysophanol, physcion, emodin, rubrofusarin, cchrysophonic acid-9-anthrone.

Leaves: Emodin, tricontan-1-0l, stigmasterol, b-sitosteral-b-D-glucoside, freindlen, palmitic, stearic, succinic and d-tartaric acids uridine, quercitrin and isoquercitrin.

Medicinal Uses: According to Ayurveda the leaves and seeds are acrid, laxative , antiperiodic, anthelmintic, ophthalmic, liver tonic, cardiotonic and expectorant. The leaves and seeds are useful in leprosy, ringworm, flatulence, colic, dyspepsia, constipation, cough, bronchitis, cardiac disorders.
Root  is used in snakebite.The decoction of leaves is a  laxative. The leaves and seeds are used in skin diseases ,particularly for ringworm and  itch.

The dried and fresh leaves are used in North Nigeria in the treatment of ulcers,ringworm and other paracitic skin diseases. In cultures,  extracts of leaves and the plant showed antibactrial activity, antiviral activity, particularly against Newcastle  disease virus and  Vaccinia virus. The leaves are used as coffee substitute.The gum from the plant and the seed is used  as a suporting agent for calomel, kaolin and lactone. The seeds are also used as a mordant of  in dying.Alo emodin,rhein and chrysophanol. A pleasant smelling fixed oil is extracted from the plant and the seeds.The dried leaves have flavonoid glucoside.The seed also have an oxytocic activity.
Ayuerveda Formulation: Chakramadha Tailamu.

Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/CropFactSheets/cassia.html
http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-herbs/cassia-tora.html
http://www.hbgum.com/cassia.htm
http://www.sennacassia.com/cassia_tora_seed.html

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