Abroma Augusta Family: Sterculiaceae
Bengali: Ulatkambal
English name: Devil's Cotton
Abroma Augusta is a large shrub. Leaves large, 10-15 by 10-12.5 cm, repand-denticulate, upper smaller, narrower, entire. Flowers solitary, axillary, pendulous, peduncle up to 4 cm long; sepals 2.5 cm, lanceolate. petals scarcely exceeding the sepals, dark red.
Chemical constituents1. Leaves contain taraxerol
2. Stem bark contains friedelin
3. Root and root bark contain gum, fixed oil, resin, alkaloids, abromine, choline and betaine, stigmasterol, digitonide, magenesium salts of hydroxyl acids and polysaccharide.
4. Seeds contain 20.2% fixed oil with 71.5% linoleic acid. Augustic acid an oleanane derivative and a stigmasterol glycoside have been isolated from the roots
Uses Root bark is uterine tonic and a reputed emmenagogue. It is used in amenorrhoea and dysmenorrhoea; regulates irregular menses and pain. The fresh viscid juice of the root-bark is useful in the congestive and neuralgic varieties of dysmenorrhoea. Leaves and stems are demulcent. Petioles are useful in dysentery, weakness and burning urination.
Petioles are cut into pieces and soaked in water overnight, filtered in the next morning and taken with sugar in burning urination and seminal weakness. Seeds are used for neck pain by the Chakma in Khagrachari
Aquous extract of root is galactagogue in albino rats. Petrolium ether extract of roots showed antiimplantation and abortifacient properties. Linoleic acid present in the seed has anticholesteremic properties. Root powder and leaf juice has got estrogenic properties
