EAST-INDIAN SCREW TREE (Idampiri)
| Name in Malayalam | : | ഇടമ്പിരി |
| Name in Hindi | : | मरोड़फली |
| Botanical Name | : | helicteres isora Linn. |
| Medicinal part | : | Leaf, Root ,Stem, Fruit |
| Medicinal properties | : | In the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, cancer and other infectional diseases |
Description
Indian screw tree, is a small tree or large shrub found in southern Asia and northern Oceania. It is usually assigned to the family Malvaceae, but it is sometimes assigned to the family Sterculiaceae. The red flowers are pollinated mainly by sunbirds, butterflies, and Hymenoptera.In the 19th century fibers from the bark were used to make rope and sacks, although nowadays the tree is harvested for the fruits and roots which are used in folk medicine.Characteristics:
East-Indian screw tree is a sub-deciduous shrub or small tree with grey coloured bark. Leaves simple, serrate margin, scabrous above and pubescent beneath. Flowers solitary or in sparse clusters, with red petals turning pale blue when old. Fruits greenish brown, beaked, cylindrical, spirally twisted on ripening. The twisted shape of the fruit is what lends most of it names like screw tree and maror phali. is a small tree or large shrub, five to eight metres in height. It has grey bark and alternately arranged, hairy, ovate leaves with serrate margins. Its flowers are brick red or orange-red, and its fruits are green when raw, brown or grey when dried, and twisted, with a screw at its pointed end. Seeds of the plant are black or brown and are highly polished, roughly rhomboid, and rectangular or triangular.Medicinal Uses:
The roots and stem barks are considered to be expectorant, demulcent, astringent and antiglactagogue. Bark is used in diarrhoea, dysentery, scbies, biliousness and is useful in gripping of the bowels. Root juice is used in antidiarrhoeal and antidysenteric formulations. Fried pods are given to children to kill intestinal worms.
The fruits and roots of are used in traditional medicine systems of Asia, Iraq and South Africa, where they are credited with having value in treatment of a wide variety of conditions, including gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, cancer, and infections. There appear to have been no scientific investigations of these beliefs. However, laboratory studies have confirmed that both bacteria and cancer cells may survive less well in the presence of extracts of the fruits. Animal studies have shown that extracts of the roots can improve glucose tolerance in diabetic rats.
