Balanites aegyptiaca, Ingudi

Desert Date, Lebbek Tree, Egyptian Chebulic Myrobalan
Ingudi (Ayurveda)
Nanjunda (Siddha)
Hingan, Hanguul (Unani)

P. Alpino, J. Vesling, De plantis Aegypti liber, editio altera emendatior, (1640)

Fresh twigs and fruit of Balanites aegyptiaca
(Photo by T.K. Naliaka) (Wikimedia)

Botanical name:

Balanites aegyptiaca (syn. B. roxburghii)

Parts used:

Fruit; also Leaf, Bark, Seed,

Temperature & Taste:

Neutral. Sweet

Uses:

1. Clears Phlegm, Stops Cough:
-Whooping Cough, Pneumonia in children
-Tuberculosis
-Seed is also used for Cough and Lung diseases
-leaf, fruit, seed is used for this purpose

2. Clears Heat, Resists Poison
-Skin diseases
-Snake Bite

3. Contraceptive:
-classically used as a contraceptive

4. Kills Worms:
-Worm infestations, especially in children (unripe fruit, seed, bark, leaf)

5. Externally:
-Fruit pulp is applied to Leucoderma
-Seed oil is applied to skin diseases
-paste of the seed kernel made with water is applied to remove Freckles
-fruit pulp mixed with milk is applied to the chest for Pneumonia in children
-fresh twigs are used to clean the teeth

SEED OIL:
-Laxative
-Kills Worms
-applied to Skin diseases and Freckles
-applied to burns

Dose:

All parts are used in similar doses:
Standard Decoction (1 in 10) is given in doses of 50–100 mls.
Seed Oil: 5–10 drops

Substitute:

It was said to be similar in effect to Senega.

Main Combinations:

1. Contraceptive, make pills of Balanite Fruit, Asafetida, mixed with Betel leaf juice; take once daily after menstruation for 9 days to prevent conception.

Major Formulas:

Cautions:

None noted