Saraca indica
Yellow ashok
Saraca indica, commonly known as Sara, is a significant medicinal plant in Ayurveda. Renowned for its potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, it is primarily used to treat various ailments, including joint pain, skin disorders, and digestive issues. Its versatile leaves and bark offer valuable therapeutic benefits in traditional healing.
- Scientific name: Saraca indica
- Family: Fabaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Fabales. Finally, it is a member of the Fabaceae family, falling under the genus Saraca.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Fabales | WCVP |
| Family | Fabaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Saraca | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Saraca indica, is recognized by various common names across different languages and regions. In Bulgarian, it is referred to as индийска сарака, while in Russian, it is called Сарака индийская. Its name in Arabic is ساراكة هندية, and in Bengali, it is widely known as অশোক. Additionally, in Cantonese (Yue), the plant is identified as 印度無憂樹.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| bg | индийска сарака | Wikidata |
| ru | Сарака индийская | Wikidata |
| ar | ساراكة هندية | Wikidata |
| bn | অশোক | Wikidata |
| yue | 印度無憂樹 | Wikidata |
| vi | Vàng anh lá bé | Wikidata |
| zh | 无忧花 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 无忧花 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 無忧花 | Wikidata |
| ur | اشوک (درخت) | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning across multiple continents. In Northern Africa, its presence is recorded within the borders of Egypt. Moving toward the center of the continent, it can be found in the West-Central Tropical Africa region of the DR Congo. Its range extends into East Tropical Africa, specifically inhabiting the territories of Tanzania and Uganda. Finally, the species reaches the Indian Subcontinent, where it is documented in Bangladesh.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Africa | Egypt | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | DR Congo | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Uganda | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Bangladesh | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Sri Lanka | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Andaman Is. | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Laos | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Myanmar | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Thailand | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Saraca indica, is highly valued in traditional medicine, particularly for the therapeutic properties found within its various anatomical structures. The medicinal efficacy is most notably concentrated in the bark, which is frequently harvested for its various bioactive compounds. Specifically, the stem bark is of significant interest to practitioners, as it is often used in decoctions and preparations to treat inflammatory conditions and promote healing.- Total parts
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 3
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| bark | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem bark | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Saraca indica has 5 reported phytochemicals identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside, icariside E3, lyoniside, nudiposide, saracoside.
- Total chemicals
- 5
- Scientific sources
- 5
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| icariside E3 | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| lyoniside | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| nudiposide | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| saracoside | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Saraca indica has 1 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant.
- Total activities
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Saraca indica has 6 reported medicinal uses identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, antioxidant, breast cancer, cholera.
- Total uses
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 6
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Vibrio cholerae | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Vibrio parahaemolyticus | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antioxidant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| breast cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cholera | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| gastrointestinal diseases | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |