CHAPTER 12
Bhallataka: A Herb For Rheumatoid Arthritis
“Life is one percent what happens to you, and ninety-nine percent how you respond to it.”
Semecarpus anacardium Linn (bhallataka) is one of the best versatile and most commonly used herbs as household remedy distributed in sub Himalayan region. The word Semecarpus is derived from Greek word Simeion meaning marking or tracing and carpus meaning nut. Anacardium means like cardium - heart shaped marking nut The nut is commonly known as ‘marking nut’ and in the vernacular as ‘Ballataka’ or ‘Bhilwa’. Bhallataka has been freely used as medicine all over India since centuries. Bhallataka has the ability to penetrate deeply into the tissues and rejuvenate the body. Bhallataka was held in high esteem by ancient sages of Ayurveda. Maharshi Charak emphasized the Rasayana property of bhallataka and described 10 types of preparations with it. He considered bhallataka as the best drug to cure the kapha related diseases. Charak has categorized bhallataka has dipinaya as appetizer, bhedaniya- accumulation breaking herb, mutra sangrahaniya - antidiuretic, kusthaghna- antidermatosis. It is beneficial in failure of panis erection and sexual disability. Marany nut is a beautiful yet potentially deadly plant. Despite its darker side, this nut has been used for hundreds of years in traditional medicine. It has high priority and applicability in indigenous system of medicine. Semecarpus anacardium Linn. (Family: Anacardiaceae) is a plant well-known for its medicinal value in Ayurvedic and Siddha system of medicine. Earliet reference of bhallataka was found in paninisutra.
Bhallataka Herb information
1. Nomenclature
Family Name: Anacardiaceae
Scientific Name: Semecarpus anacardium Linn
Sanskrit Name: Bhalataka, Arushkara, Shophakrut, Agnimukha marking nut, Common Names: Bhela, Bhilawa, Senkottai, Erimugi, Cashew
Common Name: Marking nut
2. Bio energies
Rasa: Ashaya, Madhura
Virya: Ushna, Laghu, Snigdha, Tikshna
Vipaka: Adhura
Karma: dipanapachana, bhedanam, jvaraghna, krimiaghna, kasahara, svasahara, kushtaghna, medhyam, kushtaghna, vajikarana, Vatakaphahara
Prabhava: The Ashtanga Hrdaya considers bhallataka fruit to be “…like fire in property”
3. Biomedical Action
Anti-cancer, anti-microbial.
Habitat
Marany nut is indigenous to India, specifically the base of the Himalayas throughout the Coromandel region. It grows in these areas today at an elevation up to 1,000 m. Though bhallataka is found throughout India, it grows in abundance in the regions of Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Konkan and Gujarat. In the south India, the plant thrives in moist, deciduous Sub-Himalayan tract from the Bias eastwards, ascending in the outer hills up to 1,100 m. Assam, Khasia Hills, Chittagong, Central India and the western Peninsula. Although some sources indicate that bhallataka was brought to India from South America by the Portuguese, it is clearly mentioned and described in both the Sushruta and Charak samhitas, texts which antedate the Portuguese by more than millennia. S. anacardium is now cultivated all over the world as medicinal plant. The plant is found in abundance in Assam, Bihar, Bengal and Orissa, Chittagong, central India and western peninsula of East Archipelago, Northern Australia. food, in moist tropical forests, and in the subcontinent ranging from the sub-Himalayas and Assam in the north, to the coast of Kerala in the south.
Marany nut
Botanical Characters
Bhallataka is a medium-to-large size tree, 15–20 m in height. Leaves simple, alternate, oblong, obovate, rounded at the apex 18-60 x 10-30cm. with grey bark exfoliating in small irregular flakes; leaves simple alternate, obviate – oblong, 17.5–60 cm long and 12–30 cm broad, rounded at the apex. The flowers are greenish white, in panicles and appear with new leaves in May and June, easily recognized by large leaves and the red blaze exuding resin, which blackens on exposure. The nut is about 2.5 cm long, ovoid and smooth lustrous black. It is frequently found in drier rather than damp localities. The fruit ripens from December to March and are 2–3 cm broad. No specific soil affinity. It is a moderate shade bearer, obliquely ovoid or oblong drupe, 2.5 to 3.8 cm long, compressed, shining black when ripe, seated on an orange-coloured receptacle form of the disk, the base of the calyx and the extremity of the peduncle. The bark is grey in colour and exudes an irritant secretion on incising.
Plant Part Used
Pericarp of the nut, a by-product of the cashew industry, gum, oil.
Chemical Constituents
Bhallataka has been shown to contain the phenolic glucoside anacardoside and derivatives of anacardic acid that include a sub-class of compounds called the bhilawanols. Flavonoid constituents include semecarpuflavanone, semecarpetin, jeediflavone, galluflavanone and nallaflavanone. Bhallataka also contains an assortment of minerals, vitamins, amino acids and a fixed oil.
Health Benefits
Bhallaraka is a powerpacked herb extensively used as medicine in Ayurveda.
- • Bhallataka has long been considered an important remedy in the treatment of a variety of complaints including rheumatism, arthritis, neuritis, liver disorders and hemorrhoids, which is considered equal to mercury in action.
- • It is also considered an important remedy in the treatment of asthma, and in skin diseases such as psoriasis, and was even highly valued in syphilis.
- • It is one of the more effective remedies, along with yogaraja guggulu, in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
- • It is a specific tonic to male fertility as it increases semen production. As it helps to treat premature ejaculation and seminal leakage, it also treats incontinence and unrestrained urinary dribbles.
- • It is very beneficial for vitiligo and other skin diseases affecting pigmentation.
- • It strongly increases the appetite and treats conditions caused by low digestive fire; piles, diarrhoea, worms and colitis.
- • It is used against dyspepsia, constipation, parasites, cough, asthma, leprosy, rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica, neuritis, diabetes, dysmenorrhea, infertility, weakness, fatigue, cancer, hepatocarcinoma (aflatoxin-induced).
- • Its ability to clear ama helps to clear the srotas. Piles alleviates vata and kapha types of haemorrhoids. It goes directly to the root cause of the disease as it rectifies.
- • Now a day’s this plant found only in forest area because people are not properly aware with its importance or poisonous nature.
Home Remedies
- • One important Rasayana of ballataka recommended by Chakradatta called Amritabhallataka. To prepare this remedy boil 2.56 kg of ripe bhallataka fruits in 10 litres of water till reduced to 2.56 litres. Remove the fruits, add 10 litres of milk and 640 g ghee, boil on low heat until all the milk has evaporated and only the original volume of ghee remain(i.e. 640 g). Add An equal weight of gur mix thoroughly. Use after a week. The Chakradatta states that the dose is according to the “…digestive power,” mentioning that this preparation is the “king of all Rasayanas,” and may be used on an ongoing basis to promote strength and longevity microbial: An alcoholic extract of the dried nuts of S. anacardium showed a dose dependent in vitro antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans.
Cautions
- • The pericarp contains a variety of toxic principles that can precipitate a skin rash and renal failure if the dose is too large or if the remedy is prepared incorrectly. Prepared properly however bhallataka has been shown to be remarkably non-toxic and very safe.