Acacia caesia (L.) Willd.
Family: Fabaceae
Vernacular names: Incha, ഈഞ്ച (Malayalam), Soap bark (English), Nikunjika
(Sanskrit), Aila (Hindi), Incakkai (Tamil)
Distribution: Indo-Malesia
Description: Woody climbers. Leaves pinnae 5-8 pairs. Heads terminal panicle. Pods
oblong, flat, acuminate at both ends, marginate.
Habit: Climbers/Lianas
Habitat: Evergreen and semi-evergreen forests
Flowering & Fruiting: October-December
Parts used: Bark and flower
Properties & Uses: The bark is used to produce a herbal mix for hair wash to kill
headlice. The decoction of the bark is used to get relief from body pain. Flowers
are used in menstrual disorders.
Systems of Medicines: Ayurveda, Folk,
Traditional Uses:Fresh bark is crushed and mixed with water and used for hair wash
to kill head lice.
Cultivation Details
Senegalia caesia is a plant of the warm subtropical and dry tropical regions of
southern Asia[338
].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these
bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this
nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants
growing nearby.
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The flowers are used traditionally to regulate the menstrual cycle[240
].
The bark is used as a parasiticide to rid the body of hair lice[338
].
The bark of all Acacia species contains greater or lesser quantities of tannins and
are astringent. Astringents are often used medicinally - taken internally, for
example. they are used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery, and can also be
helpful in cases of internal bleeding. Applied externally, often as a wash, they
are used to treat wounds and other skin problems, haemorrhoids, perspiring feet,
some eye problems, as a mouth wash etc[601
, K
].
Many Acacia trees also yield greater or lesser quantities of a gum from the trunk
and stems. This is sometimes taken internally in the treatment of diarrhoea and
haemorrhoids[601
].
Other Uses
The bark contains saponins and is used as a substitute for soap in washing the
hair[146
, 240
]. It also acts as a parasiticide to kill hair lice
Propagation
The seed of most, if not all, members of this genus has a hard seedcoat and may
benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually
be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being
careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water.
By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then
carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and
soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.
Acacia seeds that have matured fully on the bush and have been properly dried have
a hard seed coat and can be stored in closed containers without deterioration for 5
- 10 years or more in dry conditions at ambient temperatures. It is best to remove
the aril, which attracts weevils and can lead to moulds forming. The arils are
easilyremoved by placing the seeds in water and rubbing them between the hands,
then drying the seeds and winnowing them[1294
].
Ethnomedicinal uses
The hot water decoction of A. auriculiformis roots is used in the treatment of
toothache, pains, and sore eyes (Sharma et al., 2014a, 2021). Stem bark and leaves
of A. burkei are crushed and boiled in hot water. The hot water infusion (125 ml)
is taken twice a day in the treatment of diarrhoea (de Wet et al., 2010).
Similarly, the hot water decoction of A. catechu stem bark is used alone or in
combination with opium to treat severe diarrhoea (Singh and Lal, 2006). Water
solution of A. nilotica gum is taken as a tonic for the improvement of liver and
spleen functions (Baravkar et al., 2008). The state wise distribution, extract
types, parts used in ethnomedicine of 27 species of Indian Acacia are presented in
Table 1 and Fig. 2.
Table 1. Ethnomedicinal properties of Indian Acacia species.
Species State/India Plant parts Mode of application Disease/Complaints
References
A. aulacocarpa
Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh
Stem and branches
Sugary gum is taken orally
Used to treat wounds
Cock, 2012
Stem bark Paste is applied externally In the treatment of wounds Maiden, 1989
A. auriculiformis Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Bihar Root
Hot water decoction Useful in rheumatism Girijashankar, 2011
Aqueous extract Used to treat aches, pains, and sore eyes Sharma et al., 2014a
Seeds
Seed paste
Useful in itching, allergy, and rashes Rangra et al., 2019a
Leaf Aqueous extract Used in the management of diabetes Tjeck et al., 2017
Flower Aqueous extract Useful in curing the rheumatism, sore eyes, aches,
itching, and allergy Sathya and Siddhuraju, 2013
A. burkei Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra Dried bark Dried bark is
burnt to ashes and a handful of ash is poured into 1 L of water and shake. The
suspension is allowed to sediment and half cup (±125 mL) of the supernatant is
taken orally twice a day To ease labour and labour pain activity de Wet and
Ngubane, 2014
Bark and leaf Bark or leaves are crushed and mixed in cold or hot water. The
infusion (125 ml) is administered twice a day Useful in diarrhoea treatment de Wet
et al., 2010
Bark + leaves A. burkei + O. engleri + S. birrea + S. cordatum + T. elegans +
L. javanica powder Paste is prepared and used to treat sores (skin disorder)
and ring worms de Wet et al., 2013, Nciki et al., 2016
A. caesia Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh Stem bark Juicy
extract Remedy for gastrointestinal infections Suriyamoorthy et al., 2014
Stem bark Water paste Used to kill lice Ignacimuthu et al., 2006
Stem bark Cold water decoction Useful in gastric ulcers Thambiraj and
Paulsamy, 2012
Leaf Vegetable is prepared Used to cure asthma, skin diseases, menstrual
disorder, and scabies Thambiraj and Paulsamy, 2015′ Babu et al., 2020
Leaf Aqueous decoction Useful in asthma, bronchitis, scabies, cold, menstrual
disorders Thambiraj and Paulsamy, 2011
Leaf and bark Its juice mixed with salt Useful in relieving stomach aches
Manilal, 2003
A. crassicarpa Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh Stem bark Hot water
extract Used to treat psychiatric disorders Prayogo et al., 2021
A. catechu Bihar, Central and
South India, Sikkim, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra Stem bark
Cold water decoction Taken to cure leprosy Shen et al., 2006
Ercha a traditional Chinese drug Used to treat coughs, diarrhoea, skin ulcers,
and blemishes
Hot water decoction Decoction is taken alone or in combination with opium to
treat severe diarrhoea Singh and Lal, 2006
Juice Fresh bark juice is used to treat haemoptysis, gonorrhoea Jose et al., 2011
500 g of bark is decocted in 500 mL of cow’s milk with one teaspoon of sugar. For
two weeks, one glass of this decoction is taken in the morning on an empty stomach
Used to treat asthma Uniyal et al., 2011
Stem bark and heartwood Khadira Rishta is a popular ayurvedic tonic Applied to
treat skin infection Sunil et al., 2019
Root
Paste
Used to treat mouth ulcers Uniyal and Shiva, 2005;
Two spoonful of root paste are administered orally on an empty stomach every day
for 60 days in the treatment of tuberculosis Tawde et al., 2012
Katha Katha is applied to a lemon slice and swallowed on an empty stomach on a
daily basis Used to treat piles Singh and Lal, 2006
Wood Water decoction Decoction is taken orally to treat intestinal pain Joshi
and Joshi, 2000
Heartwood
Heartwood water extract Used to treat fever, diarrhoea, leucorrhoea, piles, and
erysipelas Ray et al., 2006
Concentrated aqueous extract Useful in cough, ulcers, boils, and eruptions of the
skin Negi and Dave, 2010
Water decoction Used as a disinfectant in ulcers, skin eruptions, and burns cases
and in case of toothache and body ache Manandhar, 2002, Rahmatullah et al., 2013
Water extract Used in cough and dysentery, as well as topically for skin
ulceration and lesions Shen et al., 2006. Sunil et al., 2019
A. chundra Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan and
Maharashtra Stem bark Aqueous decoction It is useful in the treatment of
snakebites Rout et al., 2008
Stem bark and root A combination of the bark and root boiled in water Helps
to bring down high blood pressure Karthikeyan and Sebastian, 2015
A. conciana Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh Soap
pod Deseed it and soak in water for an hour, filter, and drink Helps to treat
constipation Joshi, 2005
Tender leaves Make a chutney by grinding these leaves (1 tablespoon) with black
pepper (3 g), tamarind pulp and salt as per taste. Eat twice a day with rice.
Useful in jaundice Kumar, 2005
Pods Boil in water, filter and make an aqueous extract Used to rinse mouth to
remove oral problems Bhayani, 2012
A. dealbata Rajasthan, Jammu, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh Flowers
Aqueous extract explored as hydrogels Used as cosmetic or antiradical agent
Casas et al., 2020
Stem bark
Cold water decoction Useful in bronchial infection Yadav et al., 2023;
Hot water decoction Used in cold and cough, heal hounds and fungal infections
Silva et al., 2016
A. farnesiana Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Karnataka
Stem bark Juice is prepared by boiling in water Topically applied to
heal swellings, and bleeding gums Erkovan et al., 2016
Stem Decoction is prepared from gum boiling Decoction is taken to treat
diarrhoea Shinde et al., 2023
Leaf Poultice Applied to cure ulcers and sores Nadkarni, 2005
Pods Hot infusion Used to treat otorrhagia, diarrhoea, leukorrhea,
conjunctivitis, and sore throats Deshmukh and Bhajipale, 2018
Flowers Hot decoction Administered as an injection to treat leukorrhea and
is used to treat a
prolapsed rectum Kingsley et al., 2013
A. ferruginea Orissa, Rajasthan, and
Maharashtra Stem bark, and fruits Hot decoction Used to cure diarrhoea,
dysentery, and cough Gritto et al., 2015
A. horrida (A. karoo) Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Rajasthan, and
Maharashtra Sweet thorn Sweet thorn is used to make poultice Poultice is used
to treat eye pain and cold Van Wyk et al., 2000
A. hydaspica (A. eburnea) Rajasthan and Punjab Leaf and stem bark
Aqueous extracts Useful in arresting secretion or bleeding Afsar et al., 2015
Pods Water decoction Helpful in removing catarrhal matter and phlegm from the
bronchial tubes Afsar et al., 2016
A. jacquemontii Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat Stem bark
Bark is boiled in one glass of water. When ¾ of the liquid remains, the decoction
is strained, cooled, and drunk Used to induce spontaneous abortion in women in
any stage of pregnancy (three doses per day for three days)Choudhary et al., 2009
The dried bark is crushed to form a paste with water The paste is applied on cut
by snake bite. Fibers extracted from bark are also used to tie on the spot where
scorpion has stung
Hot water decoction Used to cure fever, muscle pain, and cough Ashfaq et
al., 2016
Leaf
Water decoction Used for astringent to the bowels, cure of bronchitis, heals
fracture and is good for eye diseases Rushd, 1987
Bruised leaves
Applied to sore eyes of children Said, 1997
Burnt leaf Leaf paste It is an effective ointment for itching
Tender leaves
Leaves are beaten into a pulp Pulp is taken in diarrhoea as astringent Nadkarni,
2005
Gum Gum is heated and administered once a day Taken for one month to treat asthma
and also used to treat mouth ulcers Al-Mosawi and Thevenet, 2006;
A. juliflora Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh Leaf
Water decoction Used to treat asthma, bronchitis, conjunctivitis Agra et al.,
2008
Boiled in hot water Used to treat sore throat Lewis and Elvin-Lewis, 1977;
Pod and leaf Water decoction Used to treat cold, diarrhoea, dysentery, eye
infections, measles, pink eye, stomach-ache and wounds Duke, 1992
A. leucophloea Karnataka,
Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and
West Bengal Stem bark
Cold decoction Used as astringent, expectorant, and antipyretic agents
Pullaiah, 2002
Cold and hot decoction Useful in snake bites, coughing, vomiting, wounds, ulcers,
diarrhoea and dysentery Purohit et al., 2003
A. mangium Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan Stem bark Water extract Used as an
antiradical agent Sinaga et al., 2021
A. mearnsii Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh Stem
bark
Aqueous infusion Useful in the management of diarrhoea Mbolekwa et al., 2014
Water decoction Used as an astringent Wu et al., 2023
Water infusion Useful in mouth wash Olajuyigbe et al., 2019
A. melanoxylon Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Orissa Stem bark
Heating it over a fire and then infusing in water Water infusion is used
for bathing aching joints Sahu, 2007
A. modesta Himalaya (Terai), Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan and MaharashtraWhole plant
Hot decoction Used to cure gastrointestinal disorders Rahman et al.,
2022
Gum
Gum is dissolved in water Slimy liquid is taken as tonic for backache and
weakness Haq et al., 2011
Mixture of gum with wheat flour, almond and butter Mixture is given to women
after delivery Sarwar, 2016
Hot water decoction It is used as a tonic and to cure dysentery Sher et al.,
2012
Leaf Boiled water decoction Useful in dysentery, leprosy, and cough Bukhari et
al., 2010
Branches Miswak (toothbrush) Used in cleaning of human teeth Asghar et
al., 2003
A. nilotica Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan and
Maharashtra Leaf
Hot water infusion Useful in coughs, painful joints, backache, stomach ulcers
Farzana et al., 2014
Hot water decoction Used to cure diarrhoea and Alzheimer’s disease Deshpandey,
2003
Fresh pods Crushed pods are chewed Effective in spermatorrhoea, loss of viscidity
of sperm and recurrent night discharges Ali et al., 2012, Rather et al., 2015
Gum Water solution of gum It is taken as tonic for improvement of liver and
spleen functions Baravkar et al., 2008
Tender twigs Used as brush In cleaning of teeth Badshah and Hussain,
2011
Flower Flower paste Used to treat syphilis lesions New, 1984
Stem bark Bark paste Useful in tonsillitis Ruffo, 1991
A. pennata Meghalaya,
Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and
Maharashtra Stem bark
Paste is prepared
It is used in the treatment of rheumatism, headaches, and fever
Nguyen et al., 2018
Used in snake bites and scorpion stings Dominic and Ramanujam, 2012
Hot water infusion It is taken in the treatment of diabetes, cough, fever,
headaches, snake bites, and scorpion stings Andrade et al., 2020
Cold water decoction Used to treat diarrhoea Bhosle et al., 2009
Seed oil Seed oil Used to cure body ache Senthilkumar et al., 2012
Seed oil Seed oil Used to cure body ache Lomarat et al., 2015
Water decoction Useful in curing of fever, cholera, headache, snake bites, body
pain Shantabi et al., 2014
Whole plant Paste Antiseptic for burning urine and for curing bleeding gums Aye et
al., 2019
A. planifrons Kerala, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu Bark fibres Hot decoction
Used in the treatment of headache and body pain Senthamaraikannan et al.,
2019
Seed Crushed seed Seed is chewed by mouth for elevated cholesterol; bad
tempered entrails disorder, and weight reduction Luvincia Fernando et al.,
2019
Leaf Paste is prepared by crushing leaf It is used to treat skin allergy Dhivya
et al., 2019
A. richii Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra Stem bark Hot water
decoction Used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery Maiden, 1989
A. senegal Gujarat, Punjab,
Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra Bark gum Gum paste Applied externally
for modular leprosy Vickery and Vickery, 1979
Stem bark
Hot decoction Used to treat diarrhoea, stomach-aches Magnini et al., 2020a
Crushed and paste is prepared Paste is applied on wounds, and boils Iyamah and
Idu, 2015
Stem bark powder Orally taken to treat stomach ulcer Aké-Assi, 1992
Boiled water decoction
Used to treat genital yeast infection,
urinary tract infection, severe stomach cramps Ikram et al., 2016
Useful in cold, throat infection, and toothache Brook, 1991
Gum Gum powder Orally taken to treat flue, and sinusitis Nacoulma and Millogo-
Rasolodimby, 1985
Root bark Water decoction Used to cure gastric ulcers, and haemorrhoids
Magnini et al., 2020b
A. torta Maharashtra, Kerala, Rajasthan, Karnataka and
in Himalayas Stem bark
Hot water decoction Useful in cough, bronchitis, dysentery, tubercular fistula,
measles, inflammation, sepsis (skin diseases) and in emmenagogue Girish et al.,
2017a, Girish et al., 2017b
Water infusion It is used for washing the hair Khare, 2007
Leaf
Leaf paste Applied externally to treat skin infections Girish et al., 2017a,
Girish et al., 2017b
Leaf is cooked with onion Taken as food to treat stomach-ache Arunachalam and
Parimelazhagan, 2011
Stem 10 g of stem sap with 2 spoonful of mother’s milk is administered to children
twice a day till cure Used to cure cough Anjaneyulu and Sudarsanam, 2013
A. tortilis Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab Seed and
leaf Hot water decoction Used to treat cough, cold, gastric irritation, and
diarrhoea Yadav et al., 2013
Root, fruit, and leaf Decoction and powder Useful in diabetes management
Benkhnigue et al., 2014
Gum Gum infusion Used to treat asthma, hepatitis, and jaundice Abouri et
al., 2012
Leaf Powder Cure of diarrhoea, stomach diseases, burns El-Hafian et al.,
2014
Pods Powder Helpful in diabetes management Taha et al. 2022
