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Medicinal Importance of Aegle Marmelos(Bael) Dr. Anshu Tyagi, Dr. Manoj Kumar & Dr. Padma Singh Department of Microbiology, Kanya Gurukul Mahavidhyalay, Department of Chemistry, Gurukul Kangri University , Hardwar-249407,India
Abstract
Aegle marmelos commonly known as -bilwa -or -bael-,is highly valued plant for its characteristic aroma and medicinal value .The oil and dry fruit powder is an important export commodity from India giving a handsome amount of foreign earning to the country .A number of chemical constituents from different parts of plant have been extracted like aegelin marmelosin, coumarin ,-sitosterol and alkaloids .The plant is a rich source of amino acid ,galactose &fatty acid . The compound isolated from plant show a variety of pharmacological activity.
Key words: Aegle marmelos, Bael or Bilwa , Rutaceae ,Aegelin, Alkaloids
Introduction Aegle marmelos correa (family -Rutaceae)commonly known as bilwa or bael is a highly valued plant for its aroma & its medicinal properties .It is a extensively planted near Hindu temples for its leaves and wood which are generally used for worship . Bael is one of the most important plant used in the indigenous system of medicine .the fruit of particular is generally used for stomach related ailments Its fruit are edible as well as known drug for the management of diseases of gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Leaves are also useful in curing various diseases. This review depicts general distribution, phytochemistry, biological properties and medicinal uses of bael plant.
Distribution
Aegle marmelos is a small or medium sized deciduous, slender and aromatic tree .It is found widely throughout the Indian peninsula and in the Srilanka, Burma and in most of the South Asian countries .According to Airy Shaw (1973) three species are found in the tropical Asia and one in tropical West Africa. Only one species reported to grow in India.[1] .It grows wild and found almost throughout in India up to height of 5000 feet. It abundantly occurs along the Himalayan region, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and in the forest of Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh also. The plant is mostly cultivated for its aromatic character and medicinal properties. it is basically propagated by its seeds which germinate freely .a spacing of approx 5-7 meter is ideal for the planting of this plant .[22,25,28,29]
Cultivation and Ecology
History of cultivation: Mention of Aegle marmelos has been found in writings dating back to 800 B.C. It is cultivated throughout India ,mainly in temple gardens ,because of its status as a sacred tree ;also in Pakistan and Northern Malaysia ,the drier areas of java ,and to a limited extent on Northern Luzon in the Philippine Islands where it first fruited in 1914. It is grown in some Egyptian gardens ,and in Surinam and Trinidad .Seeds were sent from Lahore in 1909 . Specimens have been maintained in citrus collections in Florida and in agriculture research stations but the tree has never been grown for its fruit in this state .Aegle marmelos fruit was resorted to by the Portuguese in the East Indies in the 1500’s and by the British colonials in later times as a means of halting diarrhea and dysentery . Natural Habitat: The tree grows wild in dry forests on hills and plains of central and southern India and Burma ,Pakistan and Bangladesh, also in mixed deciduous and dry dipterocarp forests .Aegle marmelos is a subtropical species .In the Punjab,it grows up to an altitude of 1,200m where the temperature rises to 48.89C in the shade in summer and descends to -6.67deg C in the winter ,and prolonged droughts occur .It will not fruit where there is no long ,dry season ,as in Southern Malaysia. Biophysical Limits Altitude up to 1200 m mean annual temperature: -6-48C. Rainfall Soil type: Aegle marmelos is said to do best on rich, well drained soil, but it has grown well and fruited on the oolitic limestone of Southern Florida .It also grows well in swampy ,alkaline or stony soils having pH range from 5to 8 .In India it has the reputation of thriving where other fruit trees cannot survive .According to reproductive biology in India flowering occurs in April and May soon after the new leaves appear and the fruit ripens in 10-11 months from bloom-March to June of the following year .
Propagation and Management
Propagation Methods: Aegle marmelos is commonly grown from seed in nurseries and transplanted into the field .seedlings show great variation in form, size ,texture of rind , quantity ,and quality of pulp and number of seeds .The flavor ranges from disagreeable to pleasant .Therefore, superior type must be multiplied vegetatively .Experimental shield-budding onto related species of afraegle and onto swinglea glutinosa Merr. has been successful .Occasionally ,air-layers or root cuttings have been used for propagation.
Tree Management: The tree has no exacting cultural requirements , doing well with a minimum of fertilizer and irrigation. The spacing in Orchards 6-9 m between trees .Seedlings begin to bear in 6 to 7 years ,Vegetatively propagated trees in 5 years .Full production is reached in 15 years .Normally, the fruit is harvested when yellowish-green and kept for 8 days while it loses its green tint. Then the stem readily separates from the fruit . A tree may yield as many as 800 fruits in a season but an average crop is 150-200, or , in the better cultivars ,up to 400.[17,40]
Photochemistry :
Basically the ripe fruits are very important part in the view of medicinal uses and have lots of variation in composition .The ripe fruits are woody, large, and spherical up to 20 c.m. in dia., pear shaped or oblong with more or less slightly tuberculate or smooth surface .In general peripheral part just with in the rind, is fleshy and thick, and has a very pleasant resinous odour .The walls separating the chambers have a light yellow tint which becomes yellowish brown on exposure, and have a warm, acrid bitter taste .chambers present in pulp are full of amber or honey coloured vicious ,very sticky or glutinous translucent pulp which is sweet and feebly aromatic. [2] The first preliminary chemical examination on Aegle marmelos was carried out by Dikshit & Dutt who isolated marmelosin compound .from the fruit. Accordingly in 100 gm of fruit pulp lots of contents are there as given below .It contains 61.5%moisture, 0.3%fat, 1.8%protein,2.9%fibre ,85mg calcium,50mg phosphorus, 0.6mg iron,2mg vitamin-c ,0.13mg thiamine,1.2 mg riboflavin,0.14mg niacin,18.7 mg oxalic acid, .55ug carotene ,137Kcal calorific value[11,15]. Aegelin along with skimmianine isolated from the leaves of the plants Another compound ?-sitosterol was also isolated from leaves. The heartwood contains -sitosterol ,two unidentified alkaloids and two unknown compounds aurapten, marmerin ,umbelliferone , and lupeol .Dictamine, pyroligenous acid are the contents of heartwood.The new alkaloids O-isopentenyl halfordinol ,1-phenyl 7- hydroxytetra hydroquinozoline-4- one,N-2 ethoxy-2(4-methoxy phenyl) ethylcinnamide, N-2methoxy-2-(4-3,3 dimethylallyloxy) ethyl cinnamide ,N-2 methoxy-2-(4methoxyphenyl)ethylcinnamide were isolated from the leaves[24]. From the leaves rutin , flavan-3-ols, anthrocyanins ,flavone glycosides and tannins have been reported from the leaves.Several known coumarins ,viz umbelliferone, xanthotoxin, imperatorin and aurapten from the stem bark were isolated in the recent researches .Xanthotoxin and 6-7 dimethoxycoumarin,scopoletin,umbelliferone and 6-7,epoxyauraptene isolated from root.[11,15] Bhattacharya and Jash isolated 6′-7′ epoxyauraptene , a coumarin from root .The fruit also contains a number of coumarins ,amino acids , arabinose , galactose , D-galactouronic acid and rhammnose , alkaloids ,sterols , essential oils alloimperatorin , marmelosin, identical with imperatorin and -sitosterol , It contains marmelide ,an isomer of imperatorin ,which exhibits tyrosinase accelerating and tryptophan pyrrolase inhibiting effect in Bufo melanosticus. The presence of psoralen , a powerful germination inhibitor and tannic acid is also reported .[6] The ripe fruits posses xanthotoxal , scoparone ,scopoletin, umbelliferone , marmesin, skimmin,and b-sitosterol .the fruit and rind yield ,respectively 7-9 and 18-22% tannin .The fruit yield 2% of dried ,water soluble gum .on hydrolysis , the gum contents and their composition are mentioned in the following data – galactose20.4% , arabinose 10.7% D-galactouronic acid 25.2% ,rhamnose in traces where as the roots possess xanthotoxin,6-7 di-o-mecoumarin , scopoletin , tembamide, umbelliferone, marmesin , marmin , and skimmianine. . [11] The gummy substance surrounding the seeds serves as a good adhesive and is added to water paints to improve strength and brilliancy. It is move abundant in young fruits .The yellow dye is extracted from the rind of unripe fruits. Imperatorin, alloimperatorin ,alloimperatorinmethyl ether ,xanthotoxol, scoparone , scopoletin, umbelliferone , skimmin, and psoralen, from the fruit . and umbelliferone ,xanthotoxol , scoparone , xanthotoxin, isoimperatorin , isopimpinellin, bergaptenosthol, and auraptin from fruit pericarp have reported by several scientist .endogenous gibberelin -A.A3 ,qnd A9 were isolated from the developing fruits. One of the compound known as 2-(2-hydroxy-4methoxyphenyl) vinyl acetate have been also isolated from heartwood .[5] Two new aromatic compounds 1-5 dihydroxy-6-methoxy-2-methylanthraquinonehave been isolated from the stem bark[2] .The seeds yield an oil (34.4%on dry basis ) having fatty acid in contents in the composition viz palmitic acid-16.6% ,stearic acid-8.8%, oleic acid -30.5% linoleic acid 8.1%.In a study conducted in I.C.A.R.,it is reported that the fruit of Aegle marmelos is superior to mango in possessing higher percentage of carbohydrate ,protein, fat, soluble fiber ,minerals vitamin B and vitamin C.[27] There is a variation in the percentage and number of chemical constituents in different reports .this may be due to existence of different chemical races or the analysis methodology employed.[28,29]
Biological properties:
The plant has been evidently used in the Ayurvedic system of medicines from time immemorial. A large number of compounds are isolated from different parts of plant. Lots of studies have been done in foreign countries . Acton and Notes describes important features of bael fruit in their book -Dysenteries of India-. Accordingly Henry published his research in -Transaction of royal society for tropical medicine and hygiene- about Aegle marmelos . The antiprotozoal and antifungal activity of leaves was also reported.[16] The therapeutic potential of root and bark studied for its hypoglycemic activity .[41,21]. The seed oil was found effective on different strains of Vibrios and inhibited the growth [5] .Leaf extract of Aegle marmelos exhibited 100% fungi toxicity against Rhizoctonia solani [31]. Fixed oil from seeds of Aegle marmelos and unsaponifiable portion of oil were found to be active against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria.[4] . The fixed oil from seeds of Aegle marmelos exhibited mild to moderate antibacterial activity against test organisms but did not inhibit the growth of test fungi .[37] In same context antifungal activity of unsaponifiable matter was better than that of the fixed oil.[4]. Whereas according to another data the unsaponifiable matter of the oil however , exhibited remarkable activity against the test bacteria and inhibited the growth of test fungi.[37] Accordingly antimicrobial activity of Aegle marmelos leaf extract ,on exposure of germicidal UV light has been discussed.[39] .Ethanol extract of plant was found to be effective against Curvularia lunata ,Aspergillus niger, and Rhizopus nodulans .[32]. In addition patients suffering from diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome showed significantly greater improvement in symptoms when given an indigenous preparation containing Aegle marmelos Marmelosin ,isolated from bael plant has been reported to have anti helminthic and antibacterial activity.[15,11]Volatile oil of Aegle marmelos shows potant fungicides against broad spectrum of fungi.[13].The effect of methanol extract of Aegle marmelos leaves on mycelial growth and sclerotium formation in Sclerotium rolfsii was studied.[26]. The indigenous uses of the leaves for the treatment of diabetes mellitus .[34] The seeds of plant protect oral administration of luvangetin against multiple models of gastric ulceration in rodents.According to another study essential oil isolated from leaves shows antifungal activity.[28].In another study the effect of leaf extract of Aegle marmelos on biotransformation enzyme system and protection against free radical mediated damage in mice.[38].. Methanolic extract of unripe fruit decreased castor oil induced diarrhea possibly due to presence of tannin and mucilaginous substances.[34].Oral administration of water extract of fruits show hypoglycemic effect .[20] .Extract from Aegle marmelos was antiproliferative on human breast cancer cell lines Extract also inhibit the proliferation of transplanted ehrichascites carcinoma in mice.[18] The antifungal activity of essential oil isolated from leaves of bael plant evaluated using spore germination assay .The oil exhibited variable efficacy against different fungal isolates and 100% inhibition of spore germination of all the fungi tested was observed at 500ppm. [14]
Medicinal uses:
A study was also carried out on a preliminary chemical examination of the root, bark ,leaf ,fruit and seed [10] The leaves are astringent, digestive, laxative, and febrifuge, when fresh removes vata and kapha .It also useful in opthalmia, deafness, and inflammations. Fresh juice dilution is praised in catarrh and feverishness. The fresh juice of leaves is given, with addition of black pepper, in anasarea , with costiveness and jaundice .In external inflammations the juice of leaves is given internally to remove the supposed derangement of humans . The expressed juice of leaves is used in opthalmia and other eye affections .In Malabar a decoction of leaves is valued in asthmatic complaints. A hot poultice to head is used in delirium of fevers.[15,22] The flowers allay thirst and vomiting .It is also useful in dysentery. Water distilled from flowers, is said to be alexipharmic. The ripe fruit is hot and dry ,tonic, restorative ,astringent , laxative good for the heart and the brain , bad for liver and chest .[Yunani ] .The unripe fruit is oily bitter , acrid ,sour ,tasty but its very difficult to digest ,appetizer binding , cures dysentery and helpful in removal of pain . The oil is hot and cures vata .The ripe fruit is acrid bitter ,sweet ,appetizer , febrifuge , causes biliousness and tridosha removes vata and kapha .It is also play a very important role for heart diseases .[Ayurveda ] . [14] In the Konkan small unripe fruit is given with fennel seeds and ginger in decoction for piles .The ripe fruit is sweet aromatic and cooling agent as it made into a morning sherbet .It is pleasantly laxative and a good simple cure for dyspepsia. The dried ripe pulp is an astringent and used in dysentery also .The unripe fruit is cut up and sun dried and in this form it is sold in market in dried whole or broken slices .It is regarded as astringent ,digestive ,and stomachic .It is prescribed in diarrhea and dysentery often proving effectual in chronic cases ,after all other medicines have failed .It seems especially useful in chronic diarrhea ,a simple change in the hours of meal and an alteration in ordinary diet ,combined with bael fruit will almost universally succeed .[22] In a Cambodia fruit is prescribed in tuberculosis and hepatitis .a liquid extract of fruit was tried in several cases of dysentery and diarrhea and found to be generally useful .A syrup of the pulp of this fruit was administered to a few cases of chronic enteritis .The patients derived benefits after long continuous use . Root and bark is also very important part in the view of medicinal uses .The root bark is sometimes made into a decoction and used in cure of intermittent fever .It constitutes an ingredient in the dashamul or ten roots .It is used on Malabar coast in hypochondriasis, melancholia and palpitation of the heart. The root is sweet, cures fever due to tridosha pain in the abdomen, palpitations of the heart and urinary troubles .It removes vata ,pitta and kapha .It was suggested that root bark is effective for heart diseases .[19]. A decoction of the root of Aegle marmelos is given with sugar and fried rice for checking diarrhea and gastric irritability in infants .The root , leaves and bark are prescribed as an antidote to snake venom [Sushruta, Vaghata ,Bapat] . [7]
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Correspondence Address
Dr. Anshu Tyagi D/o Sh. Shashi Bhushan Department of Chemistry Gurukul kangri university Hardwar-249404. Uttranchal E-mail:
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