Family : Bixaceae
English: Annatto plant, Aploppas, Achiote
Hindi: लटकन Latkan, Sinduriya
Malayalam: Kurangumanjal കുരങ്ങുമഞ്ഞൾ, Kuppamanjal.
Sanskrit : Sinduri
Tamil : Sappira virai, Uragumanjal
Useful plant parts:
Leaf, flower, powder of seeds and leaf, oil
Bixa orellana- lipstick tree is a fruiting shrub, that grows up to 20 feet tall. Leaves are large 5 to 15 cm long, 4 to 11 cm broad, pointed, and dark green. Flowers are pink, and 5 cm broad; occur in clusters with five petals above the foliage, flowering starts in October to December. Fruit are spiny, ovoid, red, and 2.5 to 5 cm long, Seeds contained in the pod contain 500 seeds inside, ovate, with a scarlet covering.
Medicinal uses:
leaves used to treat malaria and Leishmaniasis, blood purifiers, jaundice, in dysentery, and used against intermittent fevers, gonorrhea, and dysentery. Annatto dye used for coloring edible material
Chemical content:
Bixin, Norbixin, Methylbixin, Tomentosic acid, Bixa ghanene, Bisulphates of Apigenin, Luteolin, Hypolaetin, Ishwarane (in seed oil). Seeds: Methyl 9’ Z-apo- 6’- lycopenoate, Apocarotenoid-bixin, Norbixin, Methyl bixin. Leaves: Bixaghanene (Ishwarane)
Medicinal Properties:
diuretic, laxative, astringent agents, antibilious, antiemetic
Propagation :
Seeds
Copy rights 2013-2024 Medicinal Plants India : All rights reserved.