Lodhr

Botanical Name

Symplocos racemosa Roxb.

Family

Styraceae/Symplocaceae

Synonyms

Symplocos intermedia Brand, Symplocos intermedia var. trichantha Hand. Mazz., Symplocos macrostachya Brand, Symplocos macrostachya var. leducii Brand, Symplocos propinqua Hance.

Regional Name

English : Symplocos bark, Hindi : Lodha, Sanskrit : Rodhra, Paittka Lodhra, Sabara Lodhra, Tirita, Urdu : Lodh, Lodhpathani, Punjabi : Lodhar, Assamese : Mugam, Bengali : Lodha, Lodhra, Gujrati : Lodhaz, Kannada : Lodhra, Kashmiri : Kath, Malayalam : Pachotti, Marathi : Lodha, Lodhra, Tamil : Vellilathi, Vellilothram, Telugu : Lodhuga.

Part Used

Stem bark.

Description

Lodhr is an evergreen medium-size tree, 6-8.5 m tall, found abundantly in plains and lower hills throughout India. It is generally found in Nagpur, Manipur, and Burma up to a height of 1400m. Mature stem bark occurs in channeled or curved pieces, few flat pieces also occur in thickness up to 1cm, outer surface uneven and rough due to fissures and cracks, grayish brown to grey externally, pale to whitish-brown internally, fracture short and granular in the cortical region and somewhat fibrous in the inner region, taste, astringent and feebly bitter.

Phytoconstituents

The main constituents of Lodhr is Alkaloids. It contains  loturine (0.25 %), colloturine (0.02 %), loturidine (0.06 %), and also contains 3-Monoglucofuranoside of 7 -O-methyl leucopelargonidin glucosides, symposide, Ellagic acid, Betulin, Betulinic acid, acetyloleanolic acid and oleanolic acid.

Medicinal Uses

It is mainly used in Bleeding disorders, Bleeding gums, Diarrhoea, Ulcers, Oral disorders, Eye disorders (conjunctivitis and ophthalmia). It is also used in Vaginal infection, injury, postpartum vaginal infection, leucorrhoea (white discharge), Menorraghia (excessive bleeding during the menstrual cycle), Skin disorders (leprosy), Acne, wounds healing, Lodhra helps in maintain the shape of the body and making the body attractive and skin glow.