chebulic myrobalan

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Myrobalan
• black myrobalan
• chebulic myrobalan
• King of Medicine

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Myrobalanus gangetica
• Myrobalanus chebula
• Buceras chebula
• Terminalia chebula var. gangetica
• Myrobalanifera citrina
• Terminalia bengalensis
• Terminalia aruta
• Myrobalanus tomentella
• Terminalia acuta
• Terminalia gangetica
• Terminalia glandulipetiolata
• Terminalia rotata
• Terminalia reticulata
• Terminalia tomentella
• Terminalia chebula var. tomentella

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, specifically classified within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is further categorized under the order Myrtales and the family Combretaceae. Within these groups, it is identified by the genus Terminalia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution spanning several distinct regions across Asia and Africa. In the Indian Subcontinent, it is notably found within the area of Assam. Its presence extends into Eastern Asia, where it can be located in Taiwan. The species is also widely distributed throughout China, specifically across the South-Central and Southeast regions. Additionally, it grows in West-Central Tropical Africa, particularly within the DR Congo.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Terminalia chebulu is characterized by its ability to thrive across diverse forest landscapes, ranging from dry deciduous forests to moist evergreen environments. It demonstrates a broad adaptability to varying topographic positions, occupying an elevational range that spans from a minimum of 300 m AMSL to a maximum of 2000 m AMSL. This wide altitudinal distribution allows the species to inhabit various climatic zones, often favoring well-drained soils and regions with distinct seasonal rainfall patterns. Its presence is frequently associated with riverbanks and valleys, where it contributes to the structural complexity of the ecosystem and plays a vital role in nutrient cycling within its preferred habitat.

Elevational range max:

2000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

300 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Terminalia chebulu is characterized by its nature as a perennial species, allowing it to persist in its environment over many years through successive growing seasons. Its physiological rhythm is defined by its deciduousness, as it undergoes seasonal changes in foliage to manage environmental stressors.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Terminalia chebulu is characterized by its robust growth form as a woody tree, reaching an average plant height of approximately 25 m. As a terrestrial species, it does not exhibit aquatic or epiphytic tendencies, maintaining an independent lifestyle rather than acting as a parasite. The plant is structurally self-supporting, lacking the climbing mechanisms associated with vines or lianas, and is defined by its consistent woody architecture.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

25 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Terminalia chebulu is characterized by a standard metabolic framework typical of many large deciduous trees. It utilizes the C3 photosynthetic pathway, a process where carbon dioxide is fixed directly via the Calvin cycle, which is efficient in the temperate to tropical environments where the species typically thrives. In terms of nutrient acquisition, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer; it relies on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil through its root system rather than establishing symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria to convert atmospheric nitrogen.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Terminalia chebulu is characterized by the development of fruit classified as a drupe, which remains indehiscent upon maturity. The seeds produced by this species exhibit significant variation in size, with a recorded minimum seed mass of 0.765 g and a maximum seed mass of 2.8977 g, resulting in an average seed mass of approximately 1.766566667 g. Furthermore, the dispersal of the plant follows a zoochorous syndrome, indicating that its seeds are primarily distributed through animal vectors.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Fruit type :

drupe

Seed mass max:

2.8977 g

Seed mass mean:

1.766566667 g

Seed mass min:

0.765 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Terminalia chebula has 5 reported plant parts identified across 53 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit, leaf, seed, stem, root.

Fruit

1. Phytochemistry
2. Journal of chromatographic science
3. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
4. Journal of separation science
5. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin

Leaf

1. Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition
2. Natural products and bioprospecting
3. Pharmacognosy research
4. SpringerPlus
5. Journal of parasitic diseases : official organ of the Indian Society for Parasitology

Seed

1. Fitoterapia
2. Oncology letters
3. Research in veterinary science

Stem

1. SpringerPlus
2. Mycoses
3. Folia microbiologica

Root

1. Folia microbiologica

Chemicals

Terminalia chebula has 126 reported phytochemicals identified across 53 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include ellagic acid, Chebulagic acid, Gallic acid, Chebulinic acid, Tannins.

ellagic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
3. Journal of chromatographic science
4. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
5. Journal of AOAC International

Chebulagic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
3. Journal of chromatographic science
4. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
5. BioFactors (Oxford, England)

Gallic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
3. Journal of chromatographic science
4. Journal of AOAC International
5. Natural product research

Chebulinic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
3. Journal of chromatographic science
4. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
5. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Tannins

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition
4. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan
5. Georgian medical news

Flavonoids

1. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Georgian medical news
4. Microbial pathogenesis
5. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)

Chebulic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
3. Planta medica
4. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Corilagin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of chromatographic science
3. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
4. Fitoterapia
5. Natural product research

polyphenols

1. Natural product research
2. Teratogenesis, carcinogenesis, and mutagenesis
3. Pharmacognosy research
4. Georgian medical news
5. Microbial pathogenesis

METHYL GALLATE

1. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
2. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Microorganisms

Activities

Terminalia chebula has 422 reported activities identified across 53 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Anthelmintic, Antihistaminic, Antimicrobial.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Journal of clinical medicine
5. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of clinical medicine
4. Microorganisms
5. Canadian journal of microbiology

Anthelmintic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biological research
3. Research in veterinary science

Antihistaminic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Toxicology mechanisms and methods
3. Drugs under experimental and clinical research

Antimicrobial

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Indian journal of microbiology
3. Infectious disorders drug targets

Antimutagenic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of environmental pathology, toxicology and oncology : official organ of the International Society for Environmental Toxicology and Cancer
3. Teratogenesis, carcinogenesis, and mutagenesis

Antispasmodic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Toxicology mechanisms and methods
3. Drugs under experimental and clinical research

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biological research
3. Pharmacognosy research

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Pharmacognosy research

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM

Conditions

Terminalia chebula has 68 reported investigations on conditions identified across 53 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include allergic rhinitis, cancer, dental caries, inflammation, Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Allergic rhinitis

1. Toxicology mechanisms and methods
2. International journal of tissue reactions
3. Drugs under experimental and clinical research

Cancer

1. Phytochemistry
2. Journal of molecular graphics & modelling
3. Biomolecules

Dental caries

1. Infectious disorders drug targets
2. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
3. Ayu

Inflammation

1. In silico pharmacology
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Klebsiella pneumoniae

1. Indian journal of pharmaceutical sciences
2. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)

Antioxidant

1. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Diarrhea

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Jaundice

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Frontiers in pharmacology

Oxidative stress

1. Biogerontology
2. Medicinal chemistry (Shariqah (United Arab Emirates))

Sore throat

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Preparations

Terminalia chebula has 87 reported preparations identified across 53 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include extracts, fruits, KM1608, aqueous extract, Extracts.

Extracts

1. Indian journal of medical sciences
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. International journal of tissue reactions
4. Drugs under experimental and clinical research
5. Toxicology mechanisms and methods

Fruits

1. BioFactors (Oxford, England)
2. International journal of food sciences and nutrition
3. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
4. Journal of basic microbiology

Km1608

1. Biomolecules
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Aqueous extract

1. Georgian medical news
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Indian journal of dental research : official publication of Indian Society for Dental Research

Extracts

1. International journal of cosmetic science
2. Journal of environmental pathology, toxicology and oncology : official organ of the International Society for Environmental Toxicology and Cancer

Aqueous extracts

1. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Phytochemistry

Dried fruits

1. Journal of medical virology
2. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR

Ethanol extracts

1. Journal of clinical biochemistry and nutrition
2. BMC complementary and alternative medicine

Ethanolic extracts

1. Planta medica
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Hydro-ethanolic extract

1. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine
2. Multiple sclerosis and related disorders