History

Morphology Description (Habit)

It is a moderate-sized, almost evergreen tree with a short trunk, and a spreading crown. The bark is dark brown to almost black, longitudinally fissured or deeply cracked. Leaves are 2-pinnate and the main rachis has glands. Stipular spines are variable. Leaflets are subsessile and glabrous. Flowers golden-yellow, fragrant, crowded in long-stalked globose heads, forming auxiliary clusters of 2-5 heads. Pods are stalked, flat, compressed 7.5-15.0 cm in length and contracted between the circular seeds. Three subspecies are recognized in India.

Principal Constituents

It contains gallic acid, m-digallic acid,(+)-catechin, chlorogenic acid, gallolyated flavan-3,4-diol and robidandiol (7,3',4'5',-tetrahydroxyflavan-3,4-diol)¹.

Pharmacology

It has spasmogenic, vasoconstrictor², anti-hypertensive, antispasmodic³, anti-inflammatory⁴ and anti-platelet aggregatory activity⁵.

Toxicology

A. nilotica, at 2% and 8% levels, has a low toxicity potential⁶. In a survey of potentially allergenic plants in Pondicherry, it was reported likely to cause pollen allergy⁷.

Indications

It is astringent, demulcent, aphrodisiac, tonic and antipyretic. It is used in conditions of bleeding gums, mouth ulcers and genitourinary disorders.

Product Range

References

1. AHEAD CD, CSIR, New Delhi.

2. Amos, S. et. al., 1999, Phytother. Res., Vol. 13(8) pp.683-685.

3. Gilani, A.H. et. al., 1999, Phytother, Res., Vol. 3(8), pp. 665-669.

4. Dafallah, A.A., et. al., 1996, Am. J. Chin. Med., Vol. 24, pp. 263-269.

5. Shah, B. H. et. al., 1997, Gen. Pharmacol. V. 29(2), pp. 251-255.

6. Al-Mustafa Z. H. and Dafallah A.A., 2000, A study on the toxicology of Acacia nilotica, Am. J. Chin. Med. Vo. 28(1): pp. 123-129.

7. Anonymous, 1998, Wealth Asia CD-ROM, CSIR, New Delhi.

8. Brenan, J.P.M. 1983. Manual on the taxonomy of Acacia species: Present taxonomy of four species of Acacia (A. albida, A. senegal, , A. tortilis). FAO, Rome, Italy. 47 p.
9. Fagg, C.W. and A. Greaves.1990. Acacia nilotica 1869-1988. CABI/OFI Annotated bibliography No. F42. CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, UK 77 p.
10. Le Houerou, H.N. 1980. Chemical composition and nutritional value of browse in tropical West Africa. In H.N. Le Houerou (ed), Browse in Africa, the Current State of Knowledge. ILCA, Ethiopia. p 261-289.
11. Nongonierma, A. 1976. Contribution a l'etude du genre Acacia Miller en Afrique occidentale. H. Caracteres des inflorescences, et des fleurs. Bulletin de l'IFAN Serie A. 38 (3) 487-657.
12. Tybirk, K 1989. Flowering, pollination, seed production of Acacia nilotica. Nordic Journal of Botany 9 (4) 375-381.
13. Sheik, M.I. 1989. Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd. ex Del. Its production, Management and Utilization. Pakistan. Regional wood energy development programme in Asia, GCP/RAS/111/NET Field document no. 20, FAO, Bankok 10200, Thailand. 45 p.