Agru

Botanical Name

Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.

Family

Thymelaeaceae.

Regional Name

English : Eagle Wood , Hindi : Agar , Sanskrit: Aguru, Lauha, Krimija, Urdu : Ood, Punjabi : Ooda, ooda , Bengali : Agaru, Gujrati : Agar , Kannada : Krishna Agaru , Malayalam : Akil , Marathi : Agar, Tamil : Akilkattai, Telugu : Agaru.

Part Used

Heart Wood.

Description

Agru is a large evergreen tree growing up to 60 to 80 feet and with a thick stem of 3 to 4 ft diameter distributed in the North-East part of the country in states like Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura at an altitude of 1500 m above the sea level. It is also found in Bhutan, Myanmar, Sumatra, and Malaysia. Agarwood forms as a reaction to fungal or bacterial attack. Trees, occasionally become infected with a parasite mold secrete a fragrant, protective oil into wounded areas (roots, branches, or sections of the trunk), which gradually become harder and dark brown to black. The heartwood (central part of a tree, which is darker in color than the sapwood) is relatively light and pale color before infection. Drug available in cut pieces, dark brown to nearly black; fracture, hard; no characteristic smell and taste.

Phytoconstituents

Essential Oil. It contains agarol (sesquiterpene), aquillochin (couinarinolignan), α- agarofurans, β- agarofurans, agarospirol, jinkohol, jinkohol-eremol, selinene, iso- dihydroagarofuran, kusenol, and dihydroagarofuran.

Medicinal Uses

It acts as a stimulant, relieves pain, bad odor, skin disorders, and inflammation, and in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. The wood is used both internally and externally. The paste of wood is applied to skin diseases and headaches. The essential oil obtained by the distillation of wood is applied to wounds, ulcers, ringworms, and other chronic skin diseases. 

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa : Katu, Tikta , Guna : Laghu, Snigdha, Tiksna , Virya : Usna , Vipaka : Katu , Karma : Sirovirecana,Kaphahara, Pittalam, Tvacya, Vatahara.

Ayurvedic Applications

Aksiroga, Svasa, Karna Roga, Kustha, Visa.