Description

Salacia macrosperma is a native of the Western Ghats. Called Large-Seeded Salacia. It is a plant with many medicinal properties. This species is accepted, and its native range is SW. & S. India , Nicobar Islands.

Salacia is an important medicinal plant, which considered as a source of secondary metabolites with a wide range of pharmaceutical attributes. Species of Salacia include S. chinenesis, S. fructicosa, S. macrosperma, S. Reticulata, S. oblonga and S. madagascariensis etc., extensively found in southern parts of India. Historically, the Salacia plants are used as part of the traditional Ayurvedic system of Indian medicine to treat diseases such as diabetes. Currently, extracts of Salacia are consumed in commercial foods and food supplements in Japan for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. In indigenous system of medicine, Salacia are used for the treatment of diabetes, diarrhoea, liver problems etc, without the sufficient knowledge of its bioactivity. Now it has been understood that it is mainly because of the bioactive compounds found with it are able to inhibit the α–glucosidase activity as a result of it, blood glucose level will be less. A most potent natural α-glucosidase inhibitor named salacinol has been isolated from an antidiabetic Ayurvedic traditional medicinal plant Salacia.

Characteristics:

Stout climbers; branchlets stout, black, densely lenticellate. Leaves to 11 x 4 cm, elliptic, acute at apex and base, crenulate; petioles to 8 mm long. Flowers many, on large axillary or extra-axillary tubercles; pedicels 5-7 mm long, slender; sepals 1.5 mm long, ovate, acute; petals 2 mm long, ovate, acute, pink. Berry 3 cm across, globose. Flowering & Fruiting: January-March

Medicinal uses:

Various fractions of the alcoholic extract of the roots of SALACIA MACROSPERMA were evaluated for their antidiabetic activity in alloxan-diabetic rats by estimating various biochemical parameters in blood, viz. glucose, proteins, lipids, cholesterol, and free fatty acids, after oral administration for 8 days. From the data obtained, it is concluded that the methanolic fraction followed by the residual fraction of the alcoholic extract exhibited significant antidiabetic activity. These biofractions were able to correct the metabolic abberations in diabetic rats. This activity may be due to their insulin-like properties.