|  Botany
A small tree, growing
to a height of 6 meters or more. The bark is smooth and grey; the wood,
soft with a white sapwood and a light olive-brown heartwood. Young shoots
are silky; branchlets are appressed-pubescent. Leaves are ovate-lanceolate,
12 to 20 cm long, 2.5 to 6 cm wide, narrowing upward to a long pointed
apex. Flowers are fragrant, pale yellow or orange, 4 to 5 cm long. Perianth
segments are usually 15 to 20, deciduous, in whorls of 3, the outer
ones oblong, the inner ones linear. Fruiting spike is 8 to 15 cm long.
One- to two-seeded, brown when old, polished and variously angled.
Distribution
Cultivated for its flowers
and used for making floral necklaces or the perfuming of clothes in
storage. Also used to scent hair oils.
Constituents
Volatile oil, 0.2% - cineol,
iso-eugenol, benzoic acid, benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde, p-cresol methyl
ether; alkaloids.
The bark contains a volatile oil, fixed oil, resin, tannin, mucilage,
starch and sugar.
Studies have reported an alkaloid in M. parvifolia and M. champaca.
Champacol, a camphor, has been obtained from champaca wood by distillation.
The flower, seeds and bark contain a bitter and aromatic principle.
A study reports a volatile oil from the leaves.
Characteristics
The bark is bitter, tonic,
astringent, antiperiodic and alterative.
Root is purgative and the root-bark, emmenagogue, purgative and demulcent.
The flowers are stimulant, tonic, carminative, demulcent and diuretic.
 Parts used
Leaves, root, root-bark, flowers, fruit and oil.
Uses
Folkloric
- Decoction
of bark used for fevers.
- Powdered bark also used for fevers.
- For rheumatisim, crushed leaves are mixed with oil and appled on affected joints.
- An infusion or decoction of the flowers used for dyspepsia, nausea and
fevers.
- The flowers, macerated in sweet oil, used for cephalalgia and ophthalmia
and fetid nasal discharges; vertigo, rheumatism and gout.
- Seeds are used for rheumatism and for healing cracks in the soles of
the feet.
- Flowers, seeds and bark reported to be abortifacient.
In India, flower buds used for diabetes
and kidney diseases.
Others
• Flowers used for scenting rooms; also, as floral
decorations strewn on briday beds.
• Flowers yield an essential oil used in perfume.
• Yields a fine timber for construction, toy making, carving.
Studies
• Cytotoxic
/ Antitumor: Study showed ethanol extract of bark of
Michelia champaca showed activitya against human epidermo0id carcinoma
of the nasopharynx test sytem. Active constituents isolated were sesquiterpene
lactones - parthenolide and costunolide.
• Antiinflammatory :
Study of the methanolic extracts of flowers of M. champaca showed
anti-inflammatory activity presumed to be due to the presence of flavonoids
in the flowers.
• Antidiabetic: Study of the ethanolic extract of M champaca exhibited significant dose-dependent antihyperglycemic activity but did not produce hypoglycemia in fasted normal rats. Results support the traditional use of the plant for various diabetic-associated complications.
• Antifungal:
Study of crude extracts of M champaca yielded the maximum
number of growth inhibiting compounds against Cladosporium cucumerinum.
• Leishmanicidal Activity
: One of the timber extracts that showed
potent leishmanicidal activity.
• Wound Healing Activity : Study showed the co-administration of dexamaethasone and M champaca significantly increased the breaking strength and increased hydroxyproline content. Results conclude M champaca is an effective agent for healing wounds in immunocompromised patients.
• Antiinfective Activity : Study showed the dichlormethane extract of M champac and A madagascarienjse showed the maximum number of growth inhibiting compounds against Cladosporium cucumerinum; the crude extracts showed activity against several phytophathogenic filamentous fungi.
• Antihyperglycemic Activity : Study of the ethanolic extract of M champaca exhibited significant dose-dependent antihyperglycemic activity but did not produce hypoglycemia in fasted normal rats. Results support the traditional use of the plant for various diabetic-associated complications.
• Flower Phytochemicals : Study of flowers of M champaca yielded flavonoid quercetin and an unidentified flavonoid glycoside togetgher with 3-sitosterol, unsaturated aliphatic ketones and hydrocarbons.
Availability
Cultivated
Wild-crafted. |
