|
Botany
Phalsa is a small tree, with young stems and inflorescences densely covered with hairs. Leaves are obliquely ovate, sometimes obscurely 3-lobed, 7.5 cm to 20 centimeters long, 5 to 16 centimeters wide, with pointed tip and obliquely heart-shaped base. Flowers are yellow, about 2 centimeters in length, borne in densely crowded, rarely solitary, axillary cymes. Fruit is edible, small and round, dark blue to almost black when ripe, sweetish and somewhat acid, each drupe containing a large seed.
 Distribution
- Found in the Cagayan, Bataan and Ilocos Sur provinces of Luzon.
- In dry slopes at low altitudes.
- Also reported from India to Thailand and Indo-China.
Constituents
- Edible portion of the fruit is 81.13% water, 1.24 % ash, 1.77 % fat, 10.27% sugar, and about 724 calories per kilo.
- Phytochemical study shows the fruit to contain anthocyanin-type cyanidin 3-glucoside, vitamins A and C, minerals, carotenes and dietary fiber.
- Flowers yield a lactone, 3, 21, 24 trimethyl-5,7-dihydroxyhentriacontanoic acid δ-lactone.
Properties
- Fruit considered astringent, cooling, stomachic.
Parts
used
Leaves, bark.
Uses
Edibility
• Fruit is edible.
• Spirit is distilled from the fruit.
Folkloric
• In Sind, Infusion of the bark used as demulcent.
• Santals used the root-bark used for rheumatism.
• Leaves used as application for pustular eruptions.
• In Pakistan, used for release of after-birth.
Studies
• Radioprotective
/ Free Radical Scavenging: Study showed GA extract to have strong radical scavenging activity in the DPPH and O2 assays and showed in vitro dose-dependent radioprotective activity.
• Radioprotective: Study showed Grewia asiatica extract provides protection against radiation-induced alterations in blood of mice.
• Anti-diabetic: Study of aqueous extract of G asiatica in diabetic cats and rabbits showed lowering of blood sugar levels to normal.
• Antiemetic: Study of fruits of G asiatica extracts showed an antiemetic effect in dogs and controlled emesis centrally induced by Apomorphine. The activity was comparable to commercial anti-emetic drugs - metoclopramide and chlorpromazine.
• Neuroprotective / Radioprotective: (1) Study showed that prior/post-supplementation of Grewia asiatica has radioprotective potential as well as neuroprotective properties against radiation. (2) Study showed GA fruit extract was able to protect the brain of Swiss albino mice against radiation induced biochemical alterations.
• Antifungal / Antiviral: Study of methanolic extract of leaves for antiviral and antifungal activity showed maximum activity against Candida albicans. Maximum antiviral activity was seen against Urdbean leaf crinkle virus.
• Brain / Radioprotective: Study in Swiss albino mice showed that Grewia asiatica fruit extract.
• Antibacterial / Radioprotective: Crude methanolic extracts of G asiatica, E jambolana and C carandas yield four major fractions viz. phenoic acids flavanols, flavonols and anthocyanins. Except for anthocyanins, all fractions showed significant antibacterial activity. GA substantially inhibited all tested fungal species.
Availability
Wild-crafted. |
