Myrobalan, Emblic Amalaki (Ayurveda) Nellikkay (Siddha) Aamla (Unani) Skyu Ru Ra སྐྱ་རུ་ར (Tibetan) Yu Gan Zi 余甘子 (TCM)

Emblic Myrobalan
Witsen, N., Jager, H. de, Plantae Javanicae pictae, ex Java transmissae anno MDCC (1700)
Chebulic, Emblic, Belleric, Citrine (Yellow) and Indian (Black) Myrobalan
A Complete History of Drugs, Pomet, London, 1748

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 1. Yellow (Citrine) Myrobalan
 2. Black (Indian, Nigrum) Myroabalan
 3. Chebulic Myrobalan
 4. Emblic Myrobalan
 5. Belleric Myrobalan
 Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578

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Left to Right: Yellow Myrobalan, Chebulic Myrobalan, Belleric Myrobalan, Emblic Myrobalan (stoned), Black Myrobalan (Adam, 2017)

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See also

Myrobalan and the Triphala Formula

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Botanical name:

Phyllanthus emblica (syn Emblica officinalis)

Parts used:

Fruits, stoned
Emblic should be fleshy, with few stones, and black externally, grey within

Temperature & Taste:

Cool and dry. Sour (all tastes except Salty in Ayurveda)

Classifications:

2S. STRENGTHENING
3B. FEBRIFUGE & ANTIPYRETIC.    3D. CORDIALS & CARDIACS.   
4c. CARDIAC.    4e. STOMACHIC.    4g. HEPATIC
TCM:
B. Clear Heat

Uses:

1. Clears Heat and Bile:
-primary medicine for Heat and Bile diseases
-clears Heat while supporting the Yin and body fluids
-clears Heat from the Blood: skin Eruptions and Skin Diseases caused by Heat and Toxin.
-other types of Heat and for Burning Feeling of the Body.
-“It reduces the Heat of Blood“. (Avicenna)
-“expels Phlegm and Black Bile”. (Avicenna)

2. Clears Heat, Moistens the Throat, Stops Cough:
-Lung Heat with dry Cough or dryness of the Lungs.
-Common Cold, Fever, Cough, Sore Throat

3. Clears Stomach Heat, Benefits the Spleen:
-Inflammation or Ulcers of the Stomach and Intestines
-Indigestion, Abdominal Distention (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
-Constipation or Diarrhea coming from Heat.
-“strengthens the stomach enabling it for better coction, satisfies the Thirst, stops Vomiting and increases Appetite”. (Avicenna)

4. Benefits Yin and Blood:
-strengthens hair and darkens hair color
-benefits Eyes
-“very useful for Nerves and Joints”. (Avicenna)
-Diabetes, from Stomach Heat and/or Yin deficiency
-“It strengthens the roots of Hair and darkens them”. (Avicenna)

5. Sattvic,
-traditionally said to bring good fortune, promoting Love and Longevity
-“strengthens and purifies the Heart and increases intellect”. (Avicenna)

Dose:

Decoction: 3–9 grams
Powder: 1–3 grams

Substitute:

1. Chebulic Myrobalan (Unani)
2. Oak Galls (Waring)
3. Chinese sources regularly list Gardenia Zhi Zi in place of Emblic Myrobalan. The same is used as a substitute in Mongolia and Buryat regions.

Corrective:

1. Honey
2. Almond Oil
3. Ghee
4. See Chebula for general correctives for the Myrobalans

Comment:

1. The Myrobalans are some of the important medicines in all Traditional Medicine systems except TCM where only Chebulic Myrobalan is used, and that, sparingly. The special thing about these fruits is that they are regulators, and when used together, they can balance and regulate the Humors. Each has a regulatory effect on one of the Humors: Chebula for Wind; Emblic and Yellow Myrobalan for Blood and Bile; Belleric for Phlegm; Black Myrobalan for Melancholy.
2. The three main Myrobalans: Chebulic, Emblic and Belleric, when used together form Triphala, the Three Fruits. These are both a household remedy and the basis for some of the most complex formulas of Traditional Medicine intended to treat some of the most obstinate diseases.
3. There are a great many Myrobalan based formulas used in Traditional Medicine. These are called Triphala in Ayurveda, Itrafal in Unani and Tryphera in the West.
4. Taken in Infusion, they only purge; in Decoction, they purge and bind (purging more); the Powder purges and binds (binds more).

Preparation:

1. Sometimes dry-fried.
2. In some western formulas, it is infused in Quince juice and toasted (Nicholas Florentini)

Main Combinations:

Triphala

1. Anemia, take Emblic Myrobalan, Iron bhasma (ashes) and Licorice. (Ayurveda)
2. Constipation, Emblic Myrobalan with Chebulic Myrobalan, Psyllium (Ayurveda)
3. Hyperacidity, Gastric Ulcers, Emblic Myrobalan with Asparagus racemosus, Licorice (Ayurveda)
4. Heart diseases, Arrhythmia, Emblic Myrobalan with Arjuna, Sida cordifolia, Belleric Myrobalan (Ayurveda)
5. Chest pain, Angina, Atherosclerosis, Emblic Myrobalan, Turmeric, Bdellium, Arjuna (Ayurveda)
6. High Cholesterol, Emblic Myrobalan with Bdellium, Turmeric (Ayurveda)
7. Diabetes,
i. Emblic Myrobalan with Turmeric (Ayurveda)
ii. Emblic Myrobalan with Turmeric, Barberry (Ayurveda)
iii. Emblic Myrobalan with Tinospora, Shilajit
iv. Emblic Myrobalan with Turmeric, Gymnema, Cinnamon, Shilajit (Ayurveda)
v. Emblic Myrobalan with Gymnema, Turmeric, Neem, Shilajit, Black Pepper (Ayurveda)
8. Gout from Damp-Heat, Emblic Myrobalan, Turmeric, Cyperus rotundus
9. Liver disorders, Emblic Myrobalan with Neem, Picrorhiza, Tinospora (Ayurveda)

Major Formulas:

Triphala
Powder of Emblic Myrobalan (Amalaki Churna) 
Kaisor Guggulu (Bdellium Youthful Pill) (Ayurveda)

Emblic 6 (Kyu ru duk pa) (Tibetan) 
Emblic 35 (Skyu ru nyer lnga( (Tibetan)

Magisterial Imperial Pills
Pills of Bdellium (Mesue)
Pills for Migraine (Galen)
‘Pills without which I would not be’ (Nicholas)
Pills to Aggregate Lesser (Mesue)
Arabian Pills (Nicholas)
Confection for Dizziness and Vertigo
Electuary of Life (Arnold de Villa Nova)
Electuarium Alcharif (Mesue)
Electuary of Micleta (Nicholas)
Gallia Aloephangina (Aromatic Troches) (Mesue)

Triphala Electuary of Raisins (Unani)
Triphera of Dodder of Thyme (Mesue)
Triphala Electuary of Dodder (Unani)
Triphala Electuary of Fennel Seeds (Unani)
Triphala Electuary for Epilepsy (Itrifal Zabeeb)
Triphera Persica (Mesue)
Triphera of the Saracens (Triphera Saracenica Magna)
Triphera Minor (Triphera Phoenonis) (Mesue)
Triphala Electuary Lesser (Unani)
Triphala Electuary Greater (Unani)
Triphala Electuary to Purge Phlegm and Black Bile

Blood Medicine 7 (Khrag sman bdun pa) (Tibetan)
Nutmeg Powder (Jatiphaladi Churna) (Ayurveda)
Frankincense 10 (Spos dkar 10) (Tibetan)
Mild Medicine (Tibetan)

Cautions:

1. Safe and well tolerated. Sometimes causes constipation and colic which is usually corrected in formula.
2. Mesue said the only deleterious effect of the Myrobalans was their potential to create obstruction. This is why they are regularly mixed with Ghee or Oil and Honey in Ayurveda and Unani. They are also used with medicines to prevent likelihood of obstruction such as Stoechas, Indian Spikenard, Ginger or Pepper etc.
3. Pemell said they should not be used in Obstruction or Fever. They are sometimes used in formulas in these cases with appropriate medicines.

Main Preparations used:

Confected Emblic Myrobalan, Paste of fresh Emblic Myrobalan, Pickled Emblic Myrobalan

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‘The fruit of this tree is the Dhatriphala, Amritaphala, Amalaka or Sriphala of the Nighantas, and is described as having all the properties of the chebulic myrobalan. It is used both fresh and dried; in the former condition it is considered to be refrigerant, diuretic and laxative; in the latter, astringent. It is pickled by the natives, and, on account of a peculiar flavour which it imparts, some of the forest tribes eat it. before drinking water. A sherbet of the fruit, sweetened with sugar or honey, is a favourite cooling drink for sick people; it is said to be diuretic. A country-side prescription for biliousness in the Concan is Axala, 4 massas, to be soaked all night in water, and in the morning to be pounded and mixed with a quarter seer of milk and flavoured with sugar and cumin. Emblic myrobalans are an ingredient in many compound preparations described in Sanskrit works. A selection of these prescriptions will be found in Butt’s Hindu Materia Medica; the following, translated from Chakradatta, may be taken as an example:— “Dhatri lauha.—Take of powdered Emblic myrobalans 64 tolas, prepared iron 32 tolas, liquorice powder 16 tolds, mix them together, and soak in the juice of Tinospora cordifolia seven times successively.

This preparation is given in jaundice, anaemia and dyspepsia, in doses of from 20 to 40 grains.” Mahometan physicians esteem this myrobalan equally with the Hindus ;they describe it as astringent, refrigerant, cardiacal, and a purifier of the humors of the body. It is much prescribed by them in fluxes, and is also applied externally on account of its cooling and astringent properties. The Arabic name is Amlaj, and the Persian Amala. Ainslie states that the flowers, which have an odour resembling that of lemon peel, are supposed by the Vytians to have virtues of a cooling and aperient nature, and are prescribed in conjunction with other articles in the form of an electuary. {Mat. Ind., ii., p. 244.) In the Pharmacopoeia of India it is stated, upon the authority of Dr. M. Ross, that the root by decoction and evaporation yields an astringent extract equal to catechu, both for medicinal purposes and in the arts; the chips of the wood or small branches thrown into impure or muddy water, according to the same authority, clear it effectually. In the Concan the juice of the fresh bark, with honey and turmeric, is given in gonorrhoea. (Pharmacographia Indica, Dymock, 1893)

Research

GENERAL / REVIEW” –The Genus Phyllanthus: An Ethnopharmacological, Phytochemical, and Pharmacological Review –Advances in biotechnology of Emblica officinalis Gaertn. syn. Phyllanthus emblica L.: a nutraceuticals-rich fruit tree with multifaceted ethnomedicinal uses –Chemical Components and Biological Activities of the Genus Phyllanthus: A Review of the Recent Literature ANTIBACTERIAL –Harnessing the antibacterial activity of Quercus infectoria and Phyllanthus emblica against antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Typhi and Salmonella Enteritidis of poultry origin –Antimicrobial Activity of Some Indian Medicinal Plants ANTI-VIRAL –Antiviral Potential of Selected Medicinal Herbs and Their Isolated Natural Products –In vitro screening antiviral activity of Thai medicinal plants against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus –Herbal Gel Formulation Developed for Anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-1 Activity Also Inhibits In Vitro HSV-2 Infection –Therapeutic opportunities of edible antiviral plants for COVID-19 COVID –In Silico Exploration of Phytoconstituents From Phyllanthus emblica and Aegle marmelos as Potential Therapeutics Against SARS-CoV-2 RdRp –Computational and network pharmacology studies of Phyllanthus emblica to tackle SARS-CoV-2 –Ayurveda Rasayana as antivirals and immunomodulators: potential applications in COVID-19 –Therapeutic opportunities of edible antiviral plants for COVID-19 ANTIOXIDANT –Evaluation of Cellular Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activities of Five Main Phyllanthus Emblica L. Cultivars in China –Characterization of a novel polysaccharide isolated from Phyllanthus emblica L. and analysis of its antioxidant activities –Antioxidant Activity and Inhibitory Effect of Some Commonly Used Medicinal Plants Against Lipid Per-Oxidation in Mice Brain –Phenolic contents and antioxidant capacities of Thai-Makham Pom (Phyllanthus emblica L.) aqueous extracts –Antioxidant activities of traditional plants in Sri Lanka by DPPH free radical-scavenging assay ANTI-INFLAMMATORY –Anti-inflammatory Effects of Phyllanthus emblica L on Benzopyrene-Induced Precancerous Lung Lesion by Regulating the IL-1β/miR-101/Lin28B Signaling Pathway –Inhibition of LPS-Induced Oxidative Damages and Potential Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Phyllanthus emblica Extract via Down-Regulating NF-κB, COX-2, and iNOS in RAW 264.7 Cells –Bioactivity‐guided isolation of anti‐inflammatory components from Phyllanthus emblica –The antiinflammatory potential of phenolic compounds from Emblica officinalis L. in rat IMMUNE SYSTEM –An Insight Into the Modulatory Effects and Mechanisms of Action of Phyllanthus Species and Their Bioactive Metabolites on the Immune System –Effects of two formulations containing Phyllanthus emblica and Tinospora cordifolia with and without Ocimum sanctum in immunocompromised mice –Biphasic Effect of Phyllanthus emblica L. Extract on NSAID-Induced Ulcer: An Antioxidative Trail Weaved with Immunomodulatory Effect CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS –A systematic review on the cardiovascular pharmacology of Emblica officinalis Gaertn. CARDIOPROTECTIVE –Supplementation of a Standardized Extract from Phyllanthus emblica Improves Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Platelet Aggregation in Overweight/Class-1 Obese Adults HEPATOPROTACTIVE –Antioxidants of Phyllanthus emblica L. Bark Extract Provide Hepatoprotection against Ethanol-Induced Hepatic Damage: A Comparison with Silymarin –Hepatoprotective Effect and Potential Mechanism of Aqueous Extract from Phyllanthus emblica on Carbon-Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Fibrosis in Rats –Malacca leaf ethanolic extract (Phyllanthus emblica) as a hepatoprotector of the liver of mice (Mus musculus) infected with Plasmodium berghei –Hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity of standardized herbal extracts RENOPROTECTIVE –Antioxidant effect of Phyllanthus emblica extract prevents contrast-induced acute kidney injury TESTICULAR PROTECTIVE –Phyllanthus emblica leaf extract ameliorates testicular damage in rats with chronic stress PULMONARY FIBROSIS –Evaluation of phytochemicals, antioxidant activity and amelioration of pulmonary fibrosis with Phyllanthus emblica leaves GOUT –Evaluation of antigout activity of Phyllanthus emblica fruit extracts on potassium oxonate-induced gout rat model OSTEOARTHRITIS –Chondroprotective Potential of Fruit Extracts of Phyllanthus emblica in Osteoarthritis

DIABETES / HYPERGLYCEMIA –Antidiabetic activity of Commiphora mukul and Phyllanthus emblica and Computational analysis for the identification of active principles with dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitory activity –Emblic Leafflower (Phyllanthus emblica L.) Fruits Ameliorate Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Dysfunction in Hyperglycemia: An Underlying Mechanism Involved in Ellagitannin Metabolite Urolithin A –Anti-diabetic activity of quercetin extracted from Phyllanthus emblica L. fruit: In silico and in vivo approaches –Effects of Phyllanthus emblica extract on endothelial dysfunction and biomarkers of oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, double-blind, controlled study –Insulin sensitizing effect of 3 Indian medicinal plants: An in vitro study –Analysis of glycation induced protein cross-linking inhibitory effects of some antidiabetic plants and spices –Role of medicinal plants in the management of diabetes mellitus: a review –Standardized Emblica officinalis fruit extract inhibited the activities of α‐amylase, α‐glucosidase, and dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 and displayed antioxidant potential ANTI-ULCER –Scientific Evaluation of Edible Fruits and Spices Used for the Treatment of Peptic Ulcer in Traditional Iranian Medicine METABOLIC SYNDROME –Evaluation of the effects of a standardized aqueous extract of Phyllanthus emblica fruits on endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, systemic inflammation and lipid profile in subjects with metabolic syndrome: a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled clinical study ANTI-PROLIFERATIVE –Evaluation of Cellular Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activities of Five Main Phyllanthus Emblica L. Cultivars in China –Antiproliferative activities and phenolic acid content of water and ethanolic extracts of the powdered formula of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. fermented broth and Phyllanthus emblica Linn. fruit CANCER –Anticancer Properties of Phyllanthus emblica (Indian Gooseberry) –Phytochemical Analysis Using UPLC-MSn Combined with Network Pharmacology Approaches to Explore the Biomarkers for the Quality Control of the Anticancer Tannin Fraction of Phyllanthus emblica L. Habitat in Nepal CERVICAL –Polyphenol extract of Phyllanthus emblica (PEEP) induces inhibition of cell proliferation and triggers apoptosis in cervical cancer cells CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA –Molecular mechanisms of cholangiocarcinoma cell inhibition by medicinal plants LIVER –Assessment of the Cytotoxic Activity of Triphala: A Semisolid Traditional Formulation on HepG2 Cancer Cell Line LUNG –Fructus phyllanthi tannin fraction induces apoptosis and inhibits migration and invasion of human lung squamous carcinoma cells in vitro via MAPK/MMP pathways POTENTIATES CHEMOTHERAPY –Phyllanthus emblica Linn. fruit extract potentiates the anticancer efficacy of mitomycin C and cisplatin and reduces their genotoxicity to normal cells in vitro –Synergistic growth inhibitory effects of Phyllanthus emblica and Terminalia bellerica extracts with conventional cytotoxic agents: Doxorubicin and cisplatin against human hepatocellular carcinoma and lung cancer cells –Growth inhibitory effects of Phyllanthus niruri extracts in combination with cisplatin on cancer cell lines COGNITION / ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE –Exploring the Effect of Phyllanthus emblica L. on Cognitive Performance, Brain Antioxidant Markers and Acetylcholinesterase Activity in Rats: Promising Natural Gift for the Mitigation of Alzheimer’s Disease –Protective Effects of Phyllanthus amarus Against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuroinflammation and Cognitive Impairment in Rats –Neuroprotective Natural Products for Alzheimer’s Disease LEARNING / MEMORY –Effect of combination of Phyllanthus emblica, Tinospora cordifolia, and Ocimum sanctum on spatial learning and memory in rats –Exploring Bhavana samskara using Tinospora cordifolia and Phyllanthus emblica combination for learning and memory in mice –Herbal drugs and natural bioactive products as potential therapeutics: A review on pro-cognitives and brain boosters perspectives MACULAR DEGENERATION –Nutraceutical effects of Emblica officinalis in age-related macular degeneration PROTECTS THE SKIN FROM DAMAGE –Phyllanthus emblica L. (amla) branch: A safe and effective ingredient against skin aging –Potential Use of Amla (Phyllanthus emblica L.) Fruit Extract to Protect Skin Keratinocytes from Inflammation and Apoptosis after UVB Irradiation WOUND HEALING –Phyllanthus emblica L. Enhances Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Wound Healing and Sprouting SKIN WHITENEING EFFECT –Critical review of Ayurvedic Varṇya herbs and their tyrosinase inhibition effect