Pterocarpus marsupium

Pterocarpus marsupium
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Tribe:	Dalbergieae
Genus:	Pterocarpus
Species:	P. marsupium
Binomial name
Pterocarpus marsupium Roxburgh

Pterocarpus marsupium, or the Indian Kino Tree is a medium to large, deciduous tree that can grow up to 30 metres tall. It is native to India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, where it occurs in parts of the Western Ghats in the Karnataka-Kerala region. It is also known by the names Malabar Kino, Benga, Bijiayasal (in western Nepal), Piasal (Oriya^[2]), Venkai, and many others.^[3]

Uses

Parts of the Indian Kino (heart wood, leaves, flowers) have long been used for their medicinal properties in Ayurveda. The heart wood is used as an astringent and in the treatment of inflammation and diabetes.

Similipal Kol tribes in Orissa, India pound a paste mixture of the bark of P. marsupium with the barks of Mangifera indica, Shorea robusta and Spondias pinnata to treat some dysentery illnesses.^[2] The plant is known as Honne or Kempu Honne in Kannada people in India make glass from the heartwood of this herb and its aqueous is used to cure diabetes.^[4]

The gum resin is the only herbal product ever found to regenerate beta cells that make insulin in the pancreas.

References

1. ^ World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1998). Pterocarpus marsupium. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Vulnerable (VU A1cd v2.3)
2. ^ ^{a b} See Table 1., S.No 25 Rout, S.D.; Thatoi, H.N. (2009). "Ethnomedical practices of Kol tribes in Similipal Biosphere Reserve, Orissa, India". Ethnobotanical Leaflets 13 (March 1, 2009): 379–387. http://www.ethnoleaflets.com/leaflets/kol.htm. Retrieved May 12, 2009. 
3. ^ International Legume Database & Information Service: Pterocarpus marsupium Indian Name : Vijaysare
4. ^ "Vijaysar|vijaisar| Diabetes herbal wood Glass medicine". Holycrystals.in. http://www.holycrystals.in/. Retrieved 2011-08-16.