Ashoka health benefit

Botanical name for ashoka is Saraca Indica or Jonesia Ashok. It is an Ayurvedic herb.

As of May 2010, no human studies with Ashoka herb could be found on Medline.

Antimicrobial properties of the stem bark of Saraca indica (Caesalpiniaceae).
European Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2009; Sainath RS, Prathiba J, Malathi R. Department of Genetics, Dr ALM Post Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Taramani Campus, University of Madras, Chennai, India.
Chloroform, methanol, aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the stem bark of Saraca indica were investigated for their antibacterial and antifungal activity against standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Salmonella typhimurium and Streptococcus pneumoniae and the fungi: Candida albicans and Cryptococcus albidus. Methanolic and aqueous extract exhibited antimicrobial activity with MIC ranging from 0.5-2% and 1-3% respectively. Methanolic extract exhibited the strongest activity against both bacteria and fungi.

Larvicidal activity of Saraca indica, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, and Clitoria ternatea extracts against three mosquito vector species.
Parasitol Res. 2009; Mathew N, Anitha MG, Bala TS, Sivakumar SM, Narmadha R, Kalyanasundaram M. Mathew N, Anitha MG, Bala TS, Sivakumar SM, Narmadha R, Kalyanasundaram M. Vector Control Research Centre (ICMR), Indira Nagar, Pondicherry, India.
Screening of natural products for mosquito larvicidal activity against three major mosquito vectors Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Anopheles stephensi resulted in the identification of three potential plant extracts viz., Saraca indica / asoca, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, and Clitoria ternatea for mosquito larval control. In the case of S. indica / asoca, the petroleum ether extract of the leaves and the chloroform extract of the bark were effective against the larvae of C. quinquefasciatus. Among the three plant species studied for mosquito larvicidal activity, C. ternatea was showing the most promising mosquito larvicidal activity. The phytochemical analysis of the promising methanolic extract of the seed extract was positive for carbohydrates, saponins, terpenoids, tannins, and proteins. In conclusion, bioassay-guided fractionation of effective extracts may result in identification of a useful molecule for the control of mosquito vectors.

Saracin, a seed integument lectin from ashoka, has immune influencing potential.
Saracin: A lectin from Saraca indica seed integument induces apoptosis in human T-lymphocytes.
Arch Biochem Biophys. 1999; Department of Experimental Medicine and Biotechnology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Saracin, a seed integument lectin from Saraca indica Ashoka has been found to be mitogenic for human lymphocytes, and this mitogenic activity could be inhibited in presence of fetuin. Further, treatment with saracin could induce secretion of IL-2 in a culture of resting human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Saracin has a higher affinity for the CD8(+) than CD4(+) T cells. Lymphocytes cultured under different conditions has shown that this lectin could induce apoptosis in activated T-lymphocytes. Saracin seems to be an interesting immunomodulator for the mammalian immune system.

Flowers & flower buds of Ashoka Saraca indicahave antibacterial activity.

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