آک، اک ، اک کا پودا ، اک کا درخت 

Apple of Sodom 

Calotropis procera (Aiton) Aiton fil.

Written By: Hakeem Muhammad Rizwan Arshad

Calotropis procera is a drug of herbal origin, which has been in use for medicinal purpose since time immemorial. Calotropis procera a small tree or shrub, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae that is native to North Africa, Pakistan, tropical Africa, Western Asia, South Asia, Indochina and were introduced to South America and the islands of the Caribbean, where they have naturalized. The green fruits contain a toxic milky sap that is extremely bitter and turns into a gluey coating which is resistant to soap. Although comparatively toxic, the drug has effectively been employed for the treatment of various ailments like (arthritis, ascites, inflammatory conditions, leprosy and asthma etc. It belongs to the family of Asclepedaceae and genus Calotropis. There are four (4) species of this genus, but only Calotropis procera and Calotropis gigantea are well recognized for their medicinal properties.

Caltrropis procera, Flowers and Leaves

    

Caltropis Giganta, Flowers and Leaves

Plant Description:-

It is found growing wild throughout in comparatively drier and warmer areas, up to an altitude of 1050 m. It occurs in open habitats such as cultivated fields, roadsides, grazing lands and other disturbed or degraded sites. It is a shrub or small tree, generally up to 2.5-4 m (max. 6) high. Stem round, usually simple (rarely branched), pale green, thickly covered with hoary pubescence which readily rubs off. Leaves decussate, obovate, acuminate 10-20 cm long and 4-10 cm wide. Inflorescence a dense, multiflowered, umbellate cyme arising from the nodes and appearing axillary or terminal. Corolla slightly campanulate, with 5 sepals that are 4-5 mm long; segments ovate, acute, rather concave, dull purple bordered with white on the upper side, silvery on the underside. Fruits sub-globose, ellipsoid or ovoid, recurved follicle, 7.5-10.0 cm. Seed light-brown, broadly ovate, flattened, 3.2 cm with silky hairs. A white milky sap is exuded from any wound on the plant.

Scientific classification:-

Kingdom Plantae

Phylum Tracheophyta

Class Magnoliopsida

Order Gentianales

Family Apocynaceae

Genus Calotropis R.Br.

Species    Calotropis procera (Aiton) Aiton fil

Binomial name:-

Calotropis procera (Aiton) Aiton fil

Synonyms:-

Apocynum syriacum Garsault

Calotropis procera (Ait.) R.Br.

Apocynum syriacum S.G.Gmel.

Asclepias gigantea Jacq.

Asclepias gigantea Willd.

Asclepias heterophylla Decne.

Asclepias patula Decne.

Asclepias procera Aiton

Calotropis gigantea Maycock, 1830

Calotropis gigantea var. procera (Aiton) P.T.Li

Calotropis hamiltonii Wight

Calotropis heterophylla Wall. ex Wight

Calotropis inflexa Chiov.

Calotropis mudari Ham.

Calotropis persica Gand.

Calotropis busseana K.Schum.

Calotropis procera (Aiton) Dryand.

Calotropis procera subsp. hamiltonii (Wight) Ali

Calotropis syriaca (Gmel.) Woodson

Calotropis wallichii Wight

Calotropis syriaca Woodson

Madorius procerus (Aiton) Kuntze

Vernacular Names:-

Calotropis procera (Aiton) Aiton fil (آک) popularly known as, Ushr, Aak, Ak, Madar, Aakh, Madaar, Ashar. Usher, Ochar, Osherin in Unani Tibb; It is known by its different vernacular names such as Usher, Ochar, Osher  in Arabic; Madar, Aak in Urdu; Ak, Ak, Shakrallighal, Shakarulushar in Punjabi;  Aak in Sindhi; Alarka, Arka, Bimbora, Mandarapratapa Ravi, Bhanu, Tapana, Alarka, Surya, Suuryaahvya, Vikirna, Vasuka, Tapana, Tuulaphala, Kshirparna, Arkaparna, Aasphota, Aak, Ak, Khark, Zaharnak, Surya Patra, Mandara in Sansikrat;   Aak, Madar, Akavana, Ag, Ak, Akada, Madar, Safeda in Hindi;  Usher in Persian; Spalwakka in Afghani; Akand, Akan in Assamese; Akanda, Akone in Bengali;  Aakado in Gujrati;  Acka in Kashmiri;   Velleruku in Tamil;   Jilledu, Mandaramu  in Telugu;Ekka, Ekkadagida  in Kannad; Arakka, Orko in  Uriya : ;Ak in Kumaon;  Acka in Kashmiri; Bukam in Malayalam; Mandara in Marathi; : Usher in Sudanese ; Ak, Calotropis floss, Madar, Mader, Swallow-Wart, Milk Weed(Ppurple-flowered), King’s Crown, Apple of Sodom, Calotrope, Rubber bush, Sodom apple, Dead Sea Apple in English.

Habit and Habitat:-

It is found more or less throughout Pakistan, India, in warm and dry places. It is a native of China and Malaysia and distributed in the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libyan, Arab Jamahiriya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, United Arab emirates, Vietnam, Yemen, Republic of Zimbabwe, Exotic: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, StKitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, and the Grenadines, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela and Virgin Islands. 

Plant Description:-

Large shrub or small tree up to 4-10 m tall, much-branched at base, stems erect, up to 20 cm in diameter; bark pale gray, longitudinally cracked; young shoots woolly hairy; latex in all parts.

Leaves: A twig with oppositely arranged sub sessile leaves, decussate, blade broadly ovate to oblong-obovate, or elliptical, 9.5–20 cm × 6–12.5 cm, base cordate with semiamplexicaule lobes, cottony, pubescent when young and glabrous on maturity.

Apex: Almost acute, short-hairy beneath. Inflorescence is an axillary, umbellate to almost corymbose cyme up to 12.5 cm in diameter, peduncle 6–12 cm long, stout, secondary branches up to 2 cm long.

Flowering:

Calotropis procera produces flowers nearly all year round.

Parts used: Latex, flowers, leaves, Root bark,  root, Seeds, Leaves, Flowers, Flower buds, Latex of tree, Salt of the leaves, Bark of the root.

Phytoconstituents:-

The plants contain the cardenolide, proceragenin, while the root bark contains benzoylinesolone and benzoylisolinelone, α-amyrin,β-amyrin , lupeol, β-sitosterol and flavanols like quercetin-3-rutinoside . .In the leaves, mudarine is the principal active constituent as well as a bitter yellow acid, resin and 3 toxic glycosides calotropin, uscharin , calotoxin and calotropagenin. Flower contains calotropenyl acetate, and multiflavenol and the latex contains uzarigenin, and terpenol ester. The latex contains a powerful bacteriolytic enzyme, a very toxic glycoside calactin (the concentration of which is increased following insect or grasshopper attack as a defense mechanism), calotropin D I, calotropin D II, calotropin-F I, calotropin F II and a non-toxic protealytic enzyme calotropin (2 %-3 %).

Tibb Unani(Action):-  

Mohallil-e-Warm, Munaffis-e-Balgham, Hazim, Jali, Qatil-e-Deedan-e-Ama. 

Therapeutic Use:- Zeequn Nafas, Waj-ul-Mafasil, Bawaseer, Zaheer, Jiryan, Deedan-e-Ama The plant is used against bronchial asthma (especially flowers with black pepper). 

Drug Temperament:-

The temperament of different parts of C. Procera ias as under:-

Latex :  Hot and Cold in fourth order.

Leaves : Hot and Dry in third order.

Flowers : Hot and Dry in third order.

Root bark : Hot and Dry in third order.

Some Medicinal Uses:-

It is used in the diseases like Asthma, Ear ache, Stomach ache, Arthritis, Skin disease, Haemorrhoids, useful in anorexia, Root bark is useful in cough, cold and constipation.. It is a multipurpose plant, which can be utilized for medicine, fodder, and fuel purposes, timber and fiber production, phytoremediation, and synthesis of nanoparticles. It has been widely used in traditional medicinal systems across North Africa, Middle East Asia, and South-East Asia. At present, it is being extensively explored for its potential pharmacological applications.Latex is expectorant, anthelmintic, depilatory, infanticide, corrosive, vesicant, antispasmodic, alterative, nervine tonic, counter-irritant. Flowers are stomachic, tonic,  antiphlegmatic, resolvent, analgesic, Leaves are analgesic, resolvent, cough- reliever, antiasthamatic. Root and bark are emetic, diaphoretic, alterative, purgative febrifuge. diuretic, expectorant, cholagogue.The latex is used in leprosy, scabies, ringworm of the scalp, piles, eruptions on the body, asthma, enlargement of spleen and liver, dropsy, rheumatism, taenia eczema, cough, ascites, toothache, worms. And insect bites. The flowers are useful in asthma, catarrh, loss of appetite, cholera, cold, cough, skin diseases, worms and anasarca. Ihe leaves are used in headache, catarrh. Cough, asthma. and are applied to paralysed parts, painful joints, swellings and to heal wounds, The root and bark are used to cure dysentery, leprosy, secondary syphilis, against the intestinal worms, cough, ascites, anasarca and dyspepsia. The dried root bark is stated to be an excellent substitute for Ipecacuanha in the treatment of dysentery. All the parts are useful. The plant is said to be a good cure for sprains, headache, pains and eye troubles. It has expectorant, anthelmintic, alterative, proteolytic activities and regarded as a drastic purgative.

Leaves: used for treating chronic cases of dyspepsia, flatulence, constipation and mucus in stool. 

Seed oil: geriatric and tonic. 

Leaves, flowers and root-bark oil:

antimicrobial (maximum activity in leaves).

Ayurvedic Properties:-

Rasa (taste) - Katu (pungent), Tikta (bitter), Guna (qualities) - Laghumn (lightness), Ruksha (dryness), Teekshna, Vipaka - Katu, Virya -Ushna.

Ayurvedic Applications:-

Gulma, Svasa, Kustha, Krmiroga, Kandu.

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India indicated the use of the root and leaf in asthma and dyspnoea; stem bark in diseases of the spleen.

Root bark contains benzoyllineolone and benzolisolineolone. Root, stem and leaves, also latex contain beta-amyrin. Flowers contain evanidin 3-rhamnoglucoside. The plant contains a cardenolide, proceragenin, an antibacterial principle.The latex is given for treating epilepsy, also in painful, joints and swellings.

The latex exhibited anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-and formalininduced rat paw oedema model. The herb can alter menstrual cycle andtemporarily inhibit ovulation. Cardiac glycosides may be additive when combined with Digoxin. (Sharon M. Herr.)

Dosage :-

Flowers 125 mg - 375 mg (Kabiruddin, 2000).

Latex 250 mg (Kabiruddin, 2000), 1-1.5 grams (Ghani, ynm), 3 grams (Ghulam, 2007). Milky juice—500 mg to 1 g (CCRAS.)

Leaves 250 to 750 mg powder; 250 mg - 1 gram (Anonymous, 1992; (Kabiruddin, 2000).

Root—1 to 3 g for decoction (API Vol. I).

Root bark 250 mg -650 mg (Kabiruddin, 2000). 9 grams (Ghani, ynm); 5-10 grams (Anonymous, 1992).

Stem bark—0.5 to 1 g powder (API Vol. III)

Identity, Purity and Strength

Foreign matter: Not more than 2 per cent

Total Ash: Not more than 21 per cent

Acid-insoluble Ash: Not more than 5 per cent

Alcohol-soluble extractive: Not less than 5 per cent

Water soluble extractive: Not less than 24 per cent (Anonymous, 2007)

CAUTION  (تنبیہ / خبردار) :-

Calotropis Toxicity:-

The milky sap contains a complex mix of chemicals, some of which are steroidal heart poisons known as "cardiac aglycones". These belong to the same chemical family as similar ones found in foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea). The plant contains steroidal components that are the cause of its toxicity. In the case of the Calotropis glycosides, their names are calotropin, calotoxin, calactin, uscharidin and voruscharin.

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