MedicineTerminalia Fruit

The fruit contains tannins, whose components are chebulinic acid, chebulagic acid, 1,3,6-trigalloylglucose and 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloylglucose, corilagin, prochebulic acid, glucogallin, ellagic acid and gallic acid, etc.

1. General pharmacological action: the fruit is rich in tannins and has the general effects of tannins, such as astringency and antidiarrhea.

2. Antibacterial action: in vitro tests prove it is effective against 4–5 species of dysentery bacilli, especially the Chebula shell. A 100% decoction of Chebula is effective not only against various dysentery bacilli but also relatively strongly against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and diphtheria bacillus, and also acts on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, pneumococcus, hemolytic streptococcus, Proteus and Salmonella typhimurium.

3. Other actions: chebulin obtained by extraction of the dried fruit with 80% ethanol has a papaverine-like antispasmodic effect on smooth muscle; besides tannins it also contains a laxative component, so like Rhubarb it first causes diarrhea then astringency.

No precautions information available