NAGKESAR (MESUA FERREA)

NAGKESAR (MESUA FERREA): BENEFITS AND USE

Mesua ferrea (Ceylon ironwood, Indian rose chestnut, or Cobra's saffron), is a species in the family Calophyllaceae. This slow-growing tree is named after the heaviness and hardness of its timber.

Mesua ferrea has different names in various languages as: Gajapushpam, Nag champa, नाग चम्पा, Nagakesar, नाग केसर, Champeryah, Nagapushpa, Narekaisar, Nageshvar, Nagesar , Thiet lucmoc, Cobra’s Saffron, Iron Wood Tree, Indian Rose Chestnut, Mesua Naghas, Eisenholz, Nagkesar, Sachunagkeshar, Pilunagkesar, Tamranagkesar , Nagsampige , Naremushk, Nageswar , Nagkesara, Hema, Gajakesara, Naremushk.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

•         RAS (Taste) : KASHAY (ASTRINGENT), TIKTH (BITTER)

•         GUNA (PROPERTIES) : LAGHU (LIGHT), RUKSHA (DRY)

•         VIRYA (ACTION) : SHEET (COLDNESS)

•         VIPAKA (POST DIGESTIVE EFFECT) : KATU (PUNGENT)

•         DOSHA : PITTA (AGNI, HEAT) AND KAPHA (COUGH)

MAIN USES

It is a:

•         Digestant

•         Anti Poisonous

•         Antimicrobial

•         Anti Inflammatory

•         Anti-Peptic

•         Antipyretic

•         Anthelmintic

•         Anti-asthmatic

•         Ant allergic

Also useful in:

•         Nausea

•         Fever

•         Leprosy

•         Impotency

•         Polydepsia (Excessive Thirst)

AYURVEDIC RECOMENDATIONS

Oil is used to treat skin diseases and its local application is also recommended in rheumatism. The essential oil has antimicrobial and anthelmintic activity. Others have shown anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activity. Recently it has been shown that calophyllolide is effective in reducing the increased capillary permeability induced in mice by iiistamine, 5-HT and bradykinin. Main use of stamen has been described for controlling bleeding in menorrhagia and piles.

Oil from the seeds has been used in the treatment of sores, scabies, wounds, and rheumatism. It has been attributed to have beneficial effects as a digestant, and to have anti-poisonous, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic and anti-helmintic activity. It has also been used in the treatment of fevers, itching, nausea, leprosy, skin disorders, erysipelas, bleeding piles, metrorrhagia, menorrhagia, excessive thirst, and sweating.

Nagakeshar is slightly hot in potency, has pungent and bitter tastes. It helps to relieve Kapha. It is useful in the treatment of fever, pruritis (itching), excessive thirst, sweating, vomiting, diseases pertaining to Basti – Urinary bladder, throat diseases and headache.

It enhances the complexion. It leads to fragility transparency to the skin.

The flowers are acrid, anodyne, digestive, constipating, stomachache. They are useful in conditions like asthma, leprosy, cough, fever, vomiting and impotency.

The seed oil is considered to be very useful in conditions like vata and skin diseases.

Dried flowers are used for bleeding hemorrhoids and dysentery with mucus. Fresh flowers are useful remedy for itching, nausea, erysipelas, bleeding piles, metrorrhagea, menorrhagea, excessive thirst, and sweating. Oil from the seeds is used for sores, scabies, wounds, and rheumatism.

The leaves are applied to the head in the form of a poultice for severe colds.

The resin produced by the tree is slightly poisonous yet is very useful. It helps in aggravates the fairness of skin.

The flowers are fragrant, acrid, anodyne, digestive and useful in stomach-ache, and constipation. In some countries the extract of flowers are used in perfumes.

The flowers are also used to treat asthma, leprosy, cough, fever, vomiting and impotency.

Desiccative nature of Nagkesar helps to quench the thirst.

Nagkesar is a help in the parasitic intestinal worms.

It is a tonic to the heart.

It helps to expel wind (air) from the body.

It is also useful in the urinary system.

Nagkesar is mostly indicated in the bleeding disorders like Piles, Menorrahagia, Metrrohagia, and Epistaxis because it pacifies the Pitta that is it maintains the heat imbalance. Nagkesar reduces the swelling and shrinks the piles, eradicating the pain and Stops the Bleeding. Fresh flowers of this tree are used to treat Bleeding piles. Menorrhagia is termed as Excessive Bleeding during Menses, Nagkesar cures it, it acts as an Aphrodisiac and as a Haemostatic, and its main action is on the Blood Capillaries, due to its Kashaya Ras (Astringent) and Sheet Virya (Cool nature). Metrorrhagia means uterine bleeding at irregular intervals.