A colleague, Dr. Gandhi, located the following information from _The Wealth
of India, Raw Materials. Vol. 7: N-Pe. CSIR publ. 1966.
Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L.
"... The leaves of the plant contain tannic acid, methyl salicylate, an
amorphous glycoside (1%), mannitol (1.3%), an amorphous resin (1.2%) and a
trace of volatile oil. They contain also abscorbic acid (30 mg/100 g) and
carotene; the abscoric acid content increases on frying the leaves in oil.
The bark contains a glycoside (m.p. 86-88 degrees) and two alkaloids, one
soluble in water and the other soluble in chloroform. The glycoside
increases the amplitude of the frog's heart in small doses, but in large
does diastolic period is decreased till the heart stops with
auriculoventricular block; it also depresses the central nervous system.
The water soluble alkaloid stimulates the ciliary movements of oesophagus;
the chloroform soluble alkaloid has no such action. The alkaloids and the
glycoside have little effect on blood pressure or respiration (Van
Steenis-Kruseman, Bull. Org. Sci. Res. Indonesia, No. 18, 1953, 38; Lal &
Dutt, Bull. Acad. Sci. Unit. Prov., 1933-34, 3, 83; Basu et al., J. Indian
Chem. Soc., 1947, 24, 358; Neogi & Ahuja, J. Sci. Res. Banaras Hindu Univ.,
1960-61, 11, 196)."
I located the following web pages:
http://www.execpc.com/~goodscnt/data/es1066811.html
"the medium sized East Indian and south Chinese shrub, Nyctanthes
Arbortristis. Its white flowers are known in India under the name
of Parijata flowers. An essential oil is water distilled from the large
white or creamy white flowers which open only by night and
wither the following day. A direct extraction of the flowers yield a
concrete, but the yield in this operation is poor.
Oil of Nyctanthes Arbortristis is a pale yellow to orange yellow liquid of
fresh and strong gardenia jasmin type odor. "
http://www.niam.com/mediplnt.htm
"Nyctanthes arbor-tristis (Parijata) - liver diseases, constipation,
anthelminthic, antihistaminic"
Hope the above is helpful.
Sincerely,
Anthony R. Brach
>Return-Path: <waman@bom2.vsnl.net.in>
>Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 02:18:22 +0530 (GMT+5:30)
>From: "GIRISH M. KENI" <waman@bom2.vsnl.net.in>
>To: "Anthony R. Brach" <brach@oeb.harvard.edu>
>Subject: Re: information for leaves
>
>
> Dear Sir,
> I tank you for your cooperation & reply
>
> My teacher Dr.(Mrs.) Manasi Rajadhyaksha,M.Sc,Ph.D
> (Nuclear Chemistry) have lecturer on Dept. of chem.
> (D.G.Ruparel college,Bombay,INDIA). For her research
> project,she wants detail information for macro &
> micro elements present in parijataka leaves.
> parijataka leaves are very important medicinally.
>
> Particulars of her research project as follows:-
>
> Detection of elements in parijataka leaves by
> neutron activation analysis.
>
> Thanks again.
> SANTOSH
>
>>
>> I want information for leaves of Nyctanthus -Arbor -
>> Tristis (Parijataka leaves). Please give me a detail
>> information for research project.
>>
>> Thanks.
>> SANTOSH
*****************************************************************************
Anthony R. Brach, Ph.D., brach@oeb.harvard.edu
http://www.herbaria.harvard.edu/~brach/
Flora of China http://flora.harvard.edu/china/
Harvard University Herbaria, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-2094 USA
phone 617-495-3646; fax 617-495-9484
*****************************************************************************