INTRODUCTION:

Humans, the most distinct and distinguished animals on earth, are said to be so, due to their eminent and exceptional capacity to ‘think’. The journey of man through the roads of cognition has always succumbed him to numerous jeopardies, both physical and psychological.

It is this conversancy of man with pain and pleasure that has always graced his numerous attempts to ward off or combat them and also apprehend and appreciate the concept of ‘health’, since time immemorial. Thus, the concept of medicine evolved.

India, the salient land of ancient civilizations never lagged behind in aiding man in his battle against sufferings, with a view to avail him in the attainment of fourfold bliss – Dharma, Artha, Kaama and Moksha. The rich natural resources of the region were justly utilized to the maximum extent, in various combinations. This act which initially embarked on as an experiment, with intense study and immense dedication slowly developed into the science of medicine.

India is the abode of various traditional, folklore systems of medicine, owing to incredible pedagogy, along with Ayurveda, Siddha, Yoga and such other authenticated, codified knowledge systems. In Indian society, folk medicine has always enjoyed symbiotic relationship with these systems. The former is rich in practice while the latter has both sophisticated theory as well as practice and it is noteworthy that the duo are interconnected.

It is also very much essential to apprehend and analyze the definition of “traditional medicine” as admitted by The World Health Organization, which states that “traditional medicine is the sum total of knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences Indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement of treatment of physical and mental illness.” ¹

With immense interest and extensive esteem towards this distinguished, deep-rooted Indian treasure house of folklore medicine, an aptly accepeted, accomplished, admired and acknowledged practice of the consumption of ‘Paale kashaya’, the expressed juice of the bark of the tree Alstonia scholaris on the day of ‘Aati Amavasya’ every year, practiced in the region of Tulu nadu was selected for the study.

The term ‘Tulu Nadu’ is often used to refer to the region dominated by tulu speaking people and the people of ‘Tuluva’ ethnic group, consisting of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of the Indian state of Karnataka and the northern parts of the Kasaragod district of the state of Kerala up to the Chandragiri River.

Aati Amavasya:

‘Aati’, a special month in the tulu calendar, which usually occurs sometime between July and August possesses special, specific significance in tuluva culture. The consideration of this month as the forbidden month of the tuluva calendar may be analysed as due to the heavy rains in the region which constantly cause damage to the crops, economic decline, deterioration in the immunity and upsurge in the prevalence of diseases. Earnest attempts are made by the people of Tulunadu during this period to follow simple living and to virtuously bond and blend the relationships between the old and new generations of the family. The diet of this period is rich in ehnic food prepared with ingradients rich in medicinal properties.

Furthermore, Aati Amavasya in Tulunadu or Deevige Karkataka Amavasya or Bhimana Amavasya is a festival celebrated in South India, on the New moon day (Amavasya) of the Ashadha (Aati) month of the Hindu calendar.

On this particular day, it is a very eminent and exclusive practice of the Tuluvas to consume the expressed juice of the bark of the ‘Paale mara’ (tulu) or ‘Haale mara’, ‘Maddale’ (Kannada) rightly recognised as Alstonia scholaris by the botanists² with some other ingradients like garlic, turmeric and fenugreek.

Consumption of a small quantity of expresed juice by all the members of the family, on empty stomach, followed by a very bland diet for the day is believed to promote their immunity and keep them away from various diseases for one long year, until the next Aati Amavasya. There is a very strong belief that the potency of the drug will be the highest during the early morning hours of this particular day and hence is collected accordingly.

This is an important and integral part of Tulu folk culture and custom.

Alstonia scholaris R. Br.:

Alstonia scholaris Linn. R. Br. belongs to family Apocynaceae, grows throughout India in deciduous and evergreen forests³

It is a tree with a straight, often fluted and buttressed stem, 40 feet high and upto 5 feet in girth and whorled branches. The inside of the bark is yellow in colour and it exudes a milky juice when injured. The bark is usually greyish brown, 1.3cm. thick, lenticillate and wood white. Wood white when first exposed, but gradually turms yellowish to pale-brown, is light, lustrous, smooth and tastes bitter when fresh.

The leaves are in whorls of 5-10, 10-20 cm. x 2.5-6.5 cm.,obovate, elliptic-oblong or oblanceolate, obtuse sub-sessile,bright green above, pale beneath.

Flowers are greenish-white 1.25 cm. long with strong smell, cymes pubescent, umbellate, 7.5-10.0 cm.long; calyx small, 5Jobed; corolla small, twisted and spreading.

The follicles are 2.30-60 cm. Seeds are long 0.85 cm., flattened clothed densely with ciliate long hairs.

The plant flowers in between November-March and fruits appear during January-May.⁴

The classics of Ayurveda have called this tree ‘Saptaparna’ and have elaborately and exceptionally explained the qualities and the therapeutic properties of various parts of the tree.

The classics describe that the bark, latex and flowers of the drug Saptaparna are the parts used for therapeutic purposes and attribute qualities such as bitter-astingent taste, lightness with respect to digestion, unctousness, hot potency to it.

It is said to pacify Kapha and Pitta dosha.

The drug Saptaparna is described to be antipyretic, antiseptic, carminative,cardiotonic and vermifuge (wormifuge).

Its bark is traditionally used as stimulant,carminative, stomachic, bitter tonic, astringent, aphrodisiac, expectorant and febrifuge. It is also useful in chronic diarrhoea, dysentery, catarrhal fever, malarial fever, dyspepsia, leprosy, skin diseases, pruritis, tumors, chronic and foul ulcers, asthma, bronchitis, cardiopathy, helminthiasis, agalactia and debility. The drug is also used in case of snakebite and rheumatism.^5,6

The bark is a very effective drug internally used in visamajvara (fever disorders) and is said to be a tonic for debility caused by fever. Its utilisation for diseases of the perpural stage and its galactogogue property are worth mentioning.⁷

Various studies have established the pharmocological actions of the various parts of the drug Alstonia scholaris, especially the bark of the tree and have endorsed its medicinal values. A few important pharmacological actions described and determined are its Antimicrobial activity⁸, Antidiarrhoeal activity⁹, Antiplasmodial activity¹⁰, Antimalarial activity ¹¹,Hepatoprotective activity¹², Anticancer activity¹³, Antimutagenic activity¹⁴, Immunomodulatory activity¹⁵, Antiasthmatic activity¹⁶, Free radical scavenging activity¹⁷, Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer activity.^18,19

The vast literary patronage for the drug in the voluminous classics of Ayurveda followed by the explications and exemplifications of the same being provided by numerous studies with the help modern parameters have established the medicinal significance of the drug, Alstonia scholaris.

At this juncture, it was very much essential to apprehend and analyse the concern and certainty in the practice of the Tuluva culture of consuming the expressed juice of the bark of Saptaparna on the particular day of Aati amavasya.

Thus, this study was initiated with a view to establish the realisms of traditional practices with modern parameters.

METHODOLOGY:

The collection of the stembark of the drug Alstonia scholris was done during early morning hours,

at three different intervals, viz.,

1. First: three days before the occasion of Aati amavasya

2. Second: on the special day of Aati amavasys, which is the day on which the general population of the Tuluva community consume the expressed juice en masse

3. Third: three days after the occasion of Aati amavasya

Fig.1 Bark of Alstonia scholaris Linn.

The juice was expressed by pounding them in a morter and pestel followed by thorough squeezing.

All the stem juice samples were filtered and stored in the refrigerator until their analysis.

Ten mililitre(ml) of the juice of all the three samples were measured and placed in three different separating funnels and extracted with dichloromethane 20 ml²⁰ thrice with gentle shaking. The organic layers were collected and dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate.

Apprehending the credibility of the method of UV Spectrophotometric analysis^21,22, analysis of the samples were done by using Shimadzu UV Spectrophotometer of model UV-1800, by keeping the absorbance at constant against the dichloromethane as blank. The spectrum are shown in the Figures 2-4.

Fig.2 Representing Sample 1

Fig. 3 Representing Sample 2

Fig.4 Representing Sample 3

RESULTS:

It can be concluded from the figures that, maximum concentration of active principles is on the particular day of Aati Amavasya.

The peak max of absorbance was found to be 0.2 from the 1st and 3rd samples. Whereas, an absorbance of 0.5 was observed in sample 2 showing the maximum concentration of active principles.

DISCUSSION:

The therapeutic importance of the drug Alstonia scholaris Linn has been exceptionally and elaborately explained in the classics of Ayurveda and effortlessly established by the present day researchers. Thus, this virtue remains undebatable. The practice of the consumption of expressed juice of the bark of the ‘Paale mara’ rightly recognised as Alstonia scholaris by the Tuluva community in small quantity, on empty stomach, followed by a very bland diet on the day of Aati amavasya has stood the test of time.

However, it is very important to reflect and respect the significance of the ‘time’ of collection and consumption of the expressed juice this tree as followed by the people of Tulunadu.

In this regard, it is noteworthy that the classics of Ayurveda have described in detail that the time and method of collection of drugs play a pivotal role in determining their potency. They also describe that the one must collect the drugs facing either North or East with full respect and devotion towards Nature. The classics are of the opinion that every part of a plant should be collected after its complete maturation. There by Acharya Charaka, Sushrutha and Bhavaprakasha have mentioned about the best seasons to collect different parts of a plant.^23,24,25

Present day researchers are also af the view that the phytochemical properties of a plant are known to vary between tissues (higher concentrations occur in bark, heartwood, roots, branch bases and wound tissues), among species from tree to tree and from season to season.²⁶

The study asserts and authenticates the fact that the potency of the drug Alstonia scholaris was maximum on the day of Aati amavasya, the important day of the Tuluva calendar, where it is a custom to consume the expressed juice of this drug.

Thus, the importance of ‘time’ in the collection of drugs remains justified and this custom of Tulunadu is vindicated.

CONCLUSION:

India, the kernel of ancient wisdom and holistic medicine is the abode of various traditional, folklore systems of medicine interwoven with the numerous customs and rituals of the land. Health has been the priority and life style of the people since ages. The celebration of different festivals at different seasons of the year, the specific diet patterns, the fun and frolic the people engage in, the rituals, customs and duties followed are all spun with a view to obtain and maintain a healthy mind in a healthy body. It is the need of the hour to apprehend, analyse, appreciate and amalgamate these issues hidden in our traditional practices.

In this regard, the age old traditional practice of consuming the expressed juice of the bark of ‘Paale mara’, appropriately identified as Alstonia scholaris Linn, collected during the early hours of Aati amavasya day of the Tuluva calendar is aptly authenticated by the study.

The very strong belief in the people of Tulunadu that the potency of this drug will be the highest during the early morning hours of this particular day is upheld.

The study is a preliminary study and awaits further apppehension and analysis.

However, the establishment of the realisms in our classics and traditional practices is the need of the hour.

AKNOWLEDGEMENT:

Contribution of Ayurvedic therapists and students while collecting the raw drug sample is thankfully aknowledged.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST:

We, the authors of this article entitled ‘ Evaluating the significance of the traditional use of Alstonia scholaris linn. in Tulunadu region of South India’ certify that we have NO affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTION:

1. Shripathi Adiga H: Conceived the original idea, preparation of research protocol, execution of research, data collection, Literature survey, writing manuscript for publication

2. Aswatha Ram H.N.: Phytochemical evaluation. intellectual contribution in reporting the study results

3. Ramya S Adiga: Conceived the original idea, preparation of research protocol, Literature survey, writing manuscript for publication

4. Jagadish P C: Phytochemical evaluation. intellectual contribution in reporting the study results

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Received on 08.03.2019 Modified on 18.04.2019

Research J. Pharm. and Tech 2019; 12(8):3878-3882.

DOI: 10.5958/0974-360X.2019.00666.8