Bakula

Mimusops elengi is commonly known as Bakula. Bakula is a potential therapeutic herbal plant and their medicinal uses are mentioned in Ayurvedic scriptures. In Ayurveda, Bakul is a natural astringent used for strengthening the teeth, reduces toothache, in pyorrhoea, and in diarrhoea. It is useful in heart diseases, and also has good hemostatic activity. In modern science, researchers perceive the importance of herbal plants.

They develop various kinds of formulations by using identified properties of the Bakula plant. They discover numerous pharmacological activities such as Analgesic, Antibiotic, Anti hyperlipidemic, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-microbial, Antioxidant, Antipyretic, Cognitive enhancing.

Vernacular Names

Hindi – Bakul, Bolsari, Maulsarau, Maulsari
English – Spanish cherry, Bullet wood
Kannada – Jaali, Gobbli
Marathi – Bakhor, Ovalli, Wovali
Malayalam – Bakulam, Ilanni, Makuram
Gujarati – Babhuli, vovoli, varsoli
Nepalese – Bakulapuspa
German – Affengesict
French – Karanicum

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae

Order
Ericales

Family
Sapotaceae

Genus
Mimusops

Species
M. eleni

Habitat

Bakul is a tropical evergreen tree native to Africa and Asia. The tree can grow up to 20 ft. and provides a thick shade, but requires fairly warm temperatures with well-drained soil. It grows all over India, especially in Western Ghats regions. It is also found in Deccan regions of plateau, and frequently cultivated as ornamental trees in gardens.

Chemical Composition

Bakul has many medicinal properties due to various phytochemicals present in the plant. There are following phytochemicals are there:

Part of the Plant	Phytochemical	Properties
Leaves	Sterols, reducing sugars, hentriacontane, 𝛃-carotene, tannins.	Used in treatment of fever, postural eruptions of skin, ulcers, Antidote for snake bite.
Bark	Alkaloids, tannins, amyrin, bassic acid, taraxerol, sodium urolate, betulinic acid, wax, and volatile oils such as linalool, copaene, isosafrole, caryophyllene etc.	Strengthens the gums,anti-inflammatory, effective in ulemorrhagia, increases fertility in women, anti-microbial
Root	Steroidal, saponins, lupeol acetate, taraxerol, 𝝰-spinasterol, 𝛃- glucoside	Strengthens the teeth
Flowers	Mannitol, 𝛃-sitosterol, quercitol, ursolic acid and terpene.	Anti-ulcer, expectorant, cure biliousness, liver problems, Antidiuretic, calm anxiety, panic attacks and brain tonic.
Seeds	Pentacyclic triterpene, mimusopic acid, capric, palmitic, stearic and oleic acids.	Used for culinary purposes, for burning, for nasal congestion and headache.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa (Taste) – Katu (Pungent), Kasaya (astringent)
Guna (Quality) – Guru (heavy to digest)
Veerya (Potency) – Anushna (Neither hot nor cold)
Vipaka (Post digestive effect) – Katu (Pungent)
Dosha (Action) – Kapha-Pitta shamak

Practical Uses

Bakul is an ethnomedicinal plant, each and every part of the plant is used to treat various diseases. Let’s discuss the uses of the plant:

Chewing root bark strengthens the teeth and improves oral health.
Twig of bakul plant used as Danta pavana.
Fruit (ripe or unripe) used to prepare a lotion for the sores and wounds.
Decoction of root bark along with milk strengthens the teeth of even old people.
Water distilled from the flowers is in use amongst the natives of southern India, both as stimulant medicine & as a perfume.
The bruised seeds are applied locally within the anus of the child in case of constipation.
Leaf is used as anti-venom remedies in sushruta.
Bark is used as colouring dyes in some regions.
Flowers act as a nervous tonic and generate freshness of mind.
Powder of the flowers is used for nasal administration in headaches.
Decoction of the bark is astringent and is therefore used in diarrhoea, dysentery and intestinal worms.
Both flower and bark have hemostatic activity and are used in menorrhagia, leucorrhoea, spermatorrhoea.
Bark Extract reduces the cholesterol level in the body.
Bark extract also decreases the level of oxalate of calcium and potassium in the kidney and urine.