Medicinal herbs of Chhattisgarh, India, having less known traditional uses. I. Sagon (Tectona grandis, family Verbanaceae)

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

From this article, I am starting a new series on Medicinal herbs of Chhattisgarh having less known traditional uses. In this series, the results of my ethnobotanical surveys will be added in form of articles. These surveys were conducted in almost every corner of Chhattisgarh. In my previous articles, I have written in detail about the traditional uses of common herbs, but in this part I will write on common herbs having less known uses. As my surveys are in progress, I will try to add new coming information in these articles, to make the articles rich so that it can be shifted in category of other herbs, having well known traditional uses.

Sagon (Teak) is one of the most important heart wood of the world over. Sagon is indigenous to peninsular India. It is also a native to Chhattiagarh. It is also under commercial plantation. The natives are well aware of different utilities of its wood. The natives and traditional healers of Chhattisgarh use different parts of Sagon tree as medicine in treatment of many common as well as complicated diseases. It is hard to differentiate the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh specialized in use of Sagon as medicine but through my ethnobotanical surveys, I have noted that the number of these healers are decreasing at alarming rate. The natives are also not using Sagon as medicine most commonly. The natives living nearer to the forests rich in natural population of Sagon are even not taking interest in conservation and propagation of traditional medicinal knowledge about Sagon. The reference literatures are also unable to explain the status of this knowledge in Chhattisgarh. The reference literatures are also unable to explain the status of this knowledge in Chhattisgarh. Seeing and experiencing this gap, I was motivated to document all the knowledge through my article. I am confident that this documentation will further motivate the researchers from young generation to add more information. At first I am describing the botany and reported medicinal uses of Sagon. According to reference literature, Sagon is a quick-growing tree, with rounded crown and straight stem, having height upto 27 meters. Stem-in favourable condition attains a large size, with tall, clean, cylindrical bole, having uniform girth, becomes fluted and buttressed with age. Branchlet-characteristically quadrangular, channelled. Bark-fibrous, light brown or grey, 4-18 mm thick, exfoliating in long, thin strips. Leaf broadly elliptical or obovate, 30-60 cm x 20-30 cm, gradually becoming smaller, finally becoming bract like in inflorescence, often larger in coppice-shoots, coriaceous, rough above, stellately- tomentose beneath, possessing minute, red, glandular dots which turn black. Flower small, white, sweet scented, numerous, in 45-90 mm long, conspicuous, terminal panicles. Fruit hard, long, irregularly globose, somewhat painted at the apex, 10-15 mm in diameter, enveloped by light-brown, bladder like calyx, 1-3 or rarely four seeded. Seed-marble-white, ovate, 4-8 mm long, 2000-3000 per kg. the commercial plantations of Sagon are under forest department in Chhattisgarh. Many private farms have also planted this tree for valuable wood in fences. Few years back, the new wave of tissue cultured fast growing Sagon saplings reached to Chhattisgarh but the suppliers do not get much response from the private farm owners. During the discussion with the forest officers, I got information that for raising commercial plantation they use heavy doses of chemical inputs like pesticides, fertilizers etc. Alone for termite control, they dump large does on forest flour. They are raising the plantation in mid or nearer to natural forests. Possibly they are not aware that these large doses are creating the problems for the valuable medicinal herbs of surroundings. It is disturbing the natural eco-system severely. As the department is divided in many sections, the plantation division’s activity can not be challenged by the bio-diversity division. The dumped chemicals are reaching to natural herbs through run-off and through leaching it is polluting the pure ground-water. The herb traders of Chhattisgarh are aware of this pollution and they never prefer to collect the herbs from plantation areas. They informed me that the buyers at international level reject the produce by seeing the test report with high residues of pesticides. It is very odd to write that many banned insecticides are still in use particularly in the name of termite control. I personally feel that there is a strong need to aware the concerned officials about this disturbance and threat to natural bio-diversity. The commercial plantation of Sagon requires very high chemical inputs, a responsible officer told me and the countries around the world are using these inputs in commercial plantations. I am not aware of other countries but as nature lover, I am aware that these chemical inputs are damaging the ecosystem of Chhattisgarh forests severely. As medicine, Sagon holds a reputed position in different systems of medicine in India. According to Ayurveda, Sagon wood is acrid, cooling, laxative, sedative to gravid uterus and useful in treatment of piles, leucoderma and dysentery. Roots are useful in anuria and retention of urine. The flowers are acrid, bitter dry and cures bronchitis, biliousness, urinary discharges etc. According to Unani system of medicine, oil is useful in scabies whereas wood is best for headache, biliousness, burning pains particularly over the region of liver. It allays thirst, and act as anthelmintic and expectorant.

In previous article I have mentioned traditional medicinal uses of diseased Sagon leaves in treatment of many common diseases. The use of diseased Sagon leaves is unique and I have still not found its description in related literatures. The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh Plains use the seeds of Sagon in treatment of Pathri (Renal Calculi). The half seed is taken and with the help of cold water, aqueous paste in prepared. This paste is applied externally as treatment, in affected parts. According to the traditional healers, it is promising remedy to reduce the intense pain within no time. The seeds are given internally with rice water simultaneously. The seeds are also used as hair growth promoter. The natives mix the seeds in water used for bath and during bath, rub the seeds on scalp. According to them, it promotes hair growth. According to reference literatures, the seed contains fatty oil (2%) and this oil possess properties to promote hair growth. The natives are not aware of this oil and they use whole seed. They also rub the seeds on body during both to make the skin soft and healthy. This is considered good for the patients having skin troubles. The patients having the problem of Urticaria are advised by the natives to use Sagon leaves. The leaves are boiled in water and decoction is prepared. The patients are advised to take bath with this decoction to get rid from Urticaria. For the patients having the problem of leucoderma, the decoction of bark is used for bath. The healer also add cow urine in decoction to make it more effective. In treatment of Urticaria, the healers use Sagon in different ways. They burn the dried leaves of Sagon with a part of Blanket and collect the ash. This ash is mixed in base oil (mostly Til oil) and applied externally. The healers also collect the green leaves and slightly boil it in water. The softened leaves are applied on red spots. The traditional healers of Bagbahera region informed me that the Sagon roots possess anti-venom properties and in case of snake-bite, they give the roots internally. I have yet not seen its practical use. The herb collector of Pendra region informed that the wood of Sagon is having the capacity to reduce all types of swelling. For this, the aqueous paste is applied. According to the collector, this paste is also capable of make the body free from all pains and the field workers rub it on body, after days exhausted work.

Many of the above mentioned uses have been mentioned in reference literatures. This is good to see that the natives and traditional healers are still practicing this traditional knowledge. Its popularity among them, clearly proves its effectiveness in treatment of particular diseases.

Thank you very much for reading the article.