Chirai Jam (Syzygium cuminii; family Myrtaceae) as medicinal herb in Chhattisgarh, India

Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia
© 2001,2002,2003 Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved

The natives and traditional healers of Chhattisgarh are well aware of Chirai Jam’s use in treatment of diabetes. They use almost every part of this herb in treatment. You will be surprised to know that like the wooden glasses of Bija (Pterocarpus marsupium), many traditional healers also prepare Herbal wooden glasses from Chirai Jam wood and use it in treatment of diabetes. The use of these Herbal glasses has not been mentioned in reference literatures related to different systems of medicine in India. I am proud to write this is a research and discovery of the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh and its popularity is an indication that it is effective in treatment of diabetes. Like the Herbal glasses of Bija, these glasses are not popular and also not in trade. For preparation of glass, the traditional healers take special precaution from selection of trees to preparation of glasses. The healers are following the instruction given by their forefathers sincerely. In general, they avoid to disclose their secrets to unknown persons. After collecting wood, they dip the wooden pieces in special herbal solution and after two to three days of soaking, they use it for preparation of glasses. Many healers informed me that they use the decoction of different parts of Chirai Jam as solution to dip the wooden pieces. But the others informed that there are different herbs than Chirai Jam. On the basis of patient’s age and degree of disease, they prepare glasses of different sizes. The traditional healers of Sarguja region, prepare wooden bowl in place of wooden glasses. Although the traders engaged in herb business, consider the wooden glasses of Bija more effective in treatment of diabetes but the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh give equal emphasis to Bija and Chirai Jam glasses. According to them, from their experience, they decide whether Bija glasses are more suitable or Chirai Jam glasses. I am trying to learn from these traditional healers. As far as the effectiveness of Chirai Jam wooden glasses is considered, the patients using these glasses informed me that at initial stages it acts like miracle but at later stage, it is having limited effects. Many traditional healers recommend its use as preventive to diabetes. I personally feel that there is a strong need for scientific evaluation and confirmation. If their observation are true then these glasses can became a boon for the millions of diabetic patients around the globe.

Potential uses of Chirai Jam or Jamun
Whole Plant	Bark	Leaf	Flower	Fruit	Seed
*Useful in reclamaition of problematic soils	*Yields pectin, tannins and a black dye	*Yields tannin and essential oil	*Source of honey	*Ripe fruits widely eaten	*Rich in protien and tannins
*Timber useful in construction, boat-building, various implements, furniture, etc	*Used as medicine	*Useful as green manure	*Posses antibiotic activity	*Used in jelly, jam, preserve, squash and wine-making	*Useful as medicine
*Good fuel	*Possess antibiotic activity	*Good fodder for cattle, sheep and goat		*Raw fruit juice is used in vinegar	*Possess antibiotic activity
*Suitable for social forestry as shade-tree and wind-breaks		*Host plant for tasar-silkworms		*Useful as medicine
		*Used as medicine		*Possess antibiotic activity
		*Allelopathic uses
		*Posses antibiotic activity

Many traditional healers recommend its use from childhood and they instruct the parents to use it at specific months in a year in order to make the children enough resistant against diabetes at later stages. The method of use is very simple. The bowls or glasses are filled with water at night and next day the patients are advised to take the leachate empty stomach. Many traditional healers suggest the patients to add the herbal combination, given by them, in the glasses before filling the water and next morning use the water after filtering it. According to the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh specialised in use of Chirai Jam wooden glasses (or Herbal glasses), they select old trees for collection of wood. They further informed that the plants present in surrounding of Chirai Jam in natural condition play a vital role in increasing the medicinal properties of Chirai Jam. Through regular visits, now I am getting some clues for potential herb from which wood must be collected for the preparation of glasses. As mentioned earlier, this use is not reported in reference literatures, I am lucky that the mother nature has given me the opportunity to document this traditional knowledge in front of world community. Chirai Jam is a large tree cultivated throughout India for delicious edible fruits. In Chhattisgarh, I have seen this herb in almost every corner specially in Sal (Shorea robusta) forest margins along road sides, streams and rivers. This herb is present in Chhattisgarh since time immemorial. In order to list out the traditional uses of different parts of Chirai Jam, along with other ethnobotanical surveys, I conducted specific survey in different parts of Chhattisgarh. In present articles, I am describing the results of this survey but at first I am describing the botany and reported medicinal uses of this herb. According to reference literatures, Chirai Jam or Jamun (Syzygium cumini syn. Eugenia jambolana syn. Eugenia cuminii) is a large, much branched tree having height upto 30 meters; stem upto 15 m.; Bark - brown or greyish, fairly smooth, upto 2.5 cm thick, with shallow depressions, exfoliating as woody scales; Leaf shining, lanceolate, elliptic oblong or broadly ovate-elliptic, coriaceous, gland dotted, smooth. Flower greenish - white, fragrant, in trichotomous panicles; Fruit oblong ovoid, ellipsoid or oblong, upto 2.5 cm long, purplish black, with pinkish juicy, 2-5 seeded, fleshy berry; seeds -single, shaped like fruit, 1.2 cm long compressed together resembling a single seed, the whole mass being enclosed in a coriaceous covering. As medicine, Chirai Jam holds a reputed position in different systems of medicine in India. According to Ayurveda, bark is sweet, acrid, hot, astringent to bowels, improves voice, and useful in treatment of asthma, thirst, fatigue, dysentery, heavy speech, bronchitis etc. Fruits are sweet and tasty. It is astringent to bowels. According to Unani system of medicine, fruit is useful in treatment of liver complaints whereas seeds are astringent to bowels and also useful in treatment of syphilis.

Botanical differences between major species of Syzygium.
Characteristics	Syzygium cumini	Syzygium jambos
1) Habit	Large glabrous evergreen trees with ash-brown smooth bark	Small tree.
2) Leaves	Oblong or elliptic-oblong, 10-15 cm long; acute or acuminate, shining, with numerous, close spreading secondary nerves and intermediate nearly as strong.	Lanceolate, 12-20 cm long, narrowed into a short petiole, secondary nerves rather distant, joined by a prominent looping intramarginal one.
3) Flowers	Pale green white, sessile, mostly in threes in trichotomous panicles with terete branches, Hypanthium turbinate, petals calyptrate	7-10 cm across, in short racemose cymes, sepals rounded.
4) Fruits	Berries ellipsoid or oblong, ofter curved.	Globose, white
5) Seeds	Nearly always solitary with thick, rounded, fleshy cotyledons closely appressed on their inner faces.	1-2, grey, loose in the large cavity of the succulent pericarp.

Besides herbal glass, the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh also use the seeds of Chirai Jam in treatment of diabetes. They prepare a powder and mix it with the fruit powder to Karela (Momordica charantia) and Gudmar (Gymnema sylvestris) and give it to the patients internally. The traditional healers informed me that this combination is one of the promising combinations but it should not be used regularly. According to them , long term use can cause harmful effects. Unfortunately, the natives of Chhattisgarh are not aware of these harmful effects. They are using it without following the instructions of the traditional healers. The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh plains use the leaf juice of Chirai Jam in treatment of Adhasisi (Migraine). They extract the juice and instruct the patients to apply it externally in affected parts for relief. The healers also give other herbal combinations with this treatment. The traditional healer of Mudpar village prepare a special herbal oil by mixing the ash of Chirai Jam bark in Sarson (Mustard) oil, and use it in treatment of eczema. The traditional healers of other parts are also aware of this use. They add many other herbs in this herbal oil to make it more effective. As it is a large tree, the natives do not prefer this tree in their home gardens. The natives having sufficient area for home gardens, plant this herb for edible fruits. The farmers grow this tree at their fields specially on bunds. The orchid growing on Chirai Jam is considered as a sign of good luck and fortune. The rich natives keep the dried orchid with them or at their shops. I am trying to find out the science behind this belief. The natives use the seeds of Chirai Jam in treatment of small boils. The dried seeds are converted into powder and aqueous paste is prepared. This paste is applied externally an boils. This paste is also used in face care. The beauty parlours at urban areas of Chhattisgarh are using this aqueous paste as ethnomedicine for face care. The traditional healers of Narharpur region informed me that the decoction of bark is very useful in treatment of dysentery particularly in case of dysentery of small children. The natives use this decoction under strict supervision of the healers. The natives of Chhattisgarh use the leaf juice in treatment of mouth related diseases. In case of stomatitis, they use the decoction of leaves, like the Guava leaves, for gargling. The fresh juice is also used in same manner. It is also considered good for decayed teeth. In case of intense toothache, the gargling is also recommended. The healers recommend the fresh leaf juice with cow milk as medicine in treatment of spleen related troubles. This combination is also used in stomach related diseases. From my grandfather’s diary, I have noted that the fresh juice of Chirai Jam fruit is a boon for the patients suffering from urinogenital diseases. The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh always suggest the natives to never miss the chance of eating fresh fruits during fruiting season as the fruits possess unique medicinal properties.

Common Indian Names of Jamun
Languages/Regions	Names
1) Bengali	Kalajam
2) Gujarati	Jambu
3) Hindi & marathi	Jamun
4) kanarese	Nerale
5) Malyalam	Perinnaral
6) Oriya	Jamo
7) Tamil	Neredum
8) Telugu	Neereedu
9) English	Black plum or Java plum

The local pharmaceutical companies are fulfilling their requirement of Chirai Jam plant parts from native population . It is not in list of non-wood forest produces of Chhattisgarh. Hence, there is not any pressure on its natural population. As many improved varieties having good production are introducing in Chhattisgarh, from neighbouring states, now many fruit growers are taking keen interest in its commercial cultivation. Like other species, the traditional healers prefer the indigenous Chirai Jam herbs for the preparation of medicine. They have little or no faith on improved varieties. As the wooden (or herbal) glasses of Bija herb are providing additional income to the natives and traditional healers, it is necessary to promote the wooden glasses of Chirai Jam by explaining its beneficial effects through scientific investigations. Thank you very much for reading the article.