Kutaj Bark Powder (Holarrhena Antidysenterica) 1 lb: B
A shrub or small tree. It is a well known drug for amoebic dysentery and other gastric disorders. A clinical study records the presentation of forty cases with amochiasis and giardiasis. The efficacy of kutaja in intestinal amochiasis was 70%. Good response was also observed in Entamoeba histolytica cystpassers when treated with kutaja bark. Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Scientific Publication of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association) March – April 2002 Poonam G. Daswani, Tannaz J. Birdi, D. S. Antarkar1 and N. H. Antia. The Foundation For Medical Research, Mumbai Holarrhena antidysenterica (L)_Apocyanaceae, well known for its antidiarrhoeal activity was studied for its effect on diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli. Different dilutions of the decoction of the plant were assayed for its effect on the adherence and toxin production of 2 groups of E.coli.... The decoction was more effective in inhibiting stable toxin production as compared with labile toxin production. Indian Journal of Pharmacology 2001; 33: 392-393 ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF HOLARRHENA ANTIDYSENTERICA [KURCHI, KUTAJ] AGAINST THE ENTERIC PATHOGENS The present study was undertaken to find the antibacterial activity of the crude aqueous and alcoholic extracts of stem bark of Holarrhena antidysenterica against the known enteric pathogens. Holarrhena is a genus of trees or shrubs distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is a small deciduous tree with white flowers and found throughout the dry forests of India even as far as as Travancore1. The different parts of the plant were used since antiquity in the indegenous system of medicine. As far as our knowledge goes, antibacterial activity of H. antidysenterica against the enteric pathogens has not been reported from India . Considerable work has been carried out on the chemistry and biological activity of Kurchi which has been reviewed by several workers and is reported to have 29 different alkaloids in it. Amoebicidal, antituberculous and other antiprotozoal activity of individual alkaloids especially conessine have been extensively investigated4. Jain and Tarafder have mentioned the use of this plant by the various Indian tribals in cases of number of ailments like anemia, epilepsy, stomach pain and cholera. In Ayurveda, kurchi [kutaj] is used as antihelminthic, for diarrhoea and skin diseases. Portuguese had used it as a hot decoction in bowel infection5,6. The antibacterial activity of the stem bark of H. antidysenterica against the enteropathogens have not been documented so far in Indian literature. Our present work suggests that clinical trial of both aqueous and alcoholic extracts of the stem bark of H. antidysenterica can be carried out against a battery of enteric pathogens, casuative agents of diarrhoea in infants and adults.