Rakta Chandan- Medicinal Properties And Uses

Rakthachandan

Rakthachandan is a small to medium-sized medicinal plant with lots of health benefits. The tree belongs to the Fabaceae family. It spreads around tropical regions of the world like India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and China. The bio-active components present in the plant have a lot of medicinal benefits. The heartwood( present at the center of the trunk) is used for medicinal purposes.

Pterocarpus santalinus is the botanical name of Raktha Chandan. The herb is rich in medicinal properties like anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antipyretic, anti-hyperglycaemic properties. In Ayurveda, the heartwood of Rakthachandan has been widely used to treat various health conditions like diabetes, headache, jaundice, skin diseases, inflammation, and wound healing. The healing and anti-inflammatory properties of rakthachandanam help to cure various skin diseases like acne, pimples, etc.

The bioactive components present in Rakthachandanam are santalin A and B, savinin, calocedrin, pterolinus K and L, and pterostilbene. The significance of Rakthachandan has been used throughout ancient literature like 'Charaka Samhita'.

Plant Details

Plant name: Rakthachandan.

Botanical name: Pterocarpus santalinus.

Useful parts: Heartwood ( the wood at the center of the trunk).

Rakta Chandana Known In Different Languages

English: Red sandalwood.

Sanskrit: Raktachandana.

Hindi: Lal chandan.

Telugu: Erra Chandana.

Malayalam: Raktachandanam.

Gujarati: Ratanjali.

Kannada: Rakta Chandana.

Bengali: Rakta Chandan.

Tamil: Chensandhanam.

Marathi: Tambada Chandan.

Medicinal Properties Of Rakthachandanam

Rakthachandan is rich in medicinal properties like:

• Antioxidative.
• Anti-cancer.
• Antipyretic.
• Antihyperglycemic.
• Anti-inflammatory.
• Antimicrobial.
• Antidiabetic.
• Hepatoprotective. .
• Gastro-protective.
• Diuretic.
• Aphrodisiac.
• Diaphoretic.

Rakthachandan is rich in antioxidative, anticancer, antipyretic, antihyperglycemic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and gastro-protective properties.

Ayurvedic Property Of Rakthachandanam

• Guna

  Guru( heavy to digest) and Rooksha( dryness).

• Rasa

  Madhura( sweet) and Tikta( bitter).

• Veerya

  Sita( cold potency).

• Vipaka

  Katu( pungent taste conversion after digestion). .

Health Benefits Of Rakta Chandan

• Treats Hyperlipidemia

  Rakthachandan is rich in phenolic phytocompounds that exhibit antioxidative and hypolipidemic activities and thereby protect the liver and heart against a wide variety of pathological conditions by inhibiting lipid synthesis.

• Treats stomach ulcers

  As per Ayurveda, an imbalance of pitta dosha leads to stomach ulcers. Rakthachandan is rich in sita( cold) and pitta balancing properties that help to prevent the symptoms of ulcers like inflammation, irritation, burning sensation, and bleeding. .

• Treats wounds

  The ropan( wound-healing) property of Rakta Chandan helps to cure wounds very fastly. Rakthachandan is also rich in an angiogenic activity that helps to generate new blood vessels from the preexisting ones. Rakthachandan can improve the overall health of the skin by providing sufficient nourishment to our skin cells. The anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of rakta chandan help to prevent acne and pimples. .

• Improves liver function

  The bark and heartwood of Rakthachandan are rich in flavonoids and protect the liver against chemical-induced toxicity. The hepatoprotective property of raktha chandan suppresses hepatic fibrosis in chronic liver injury. .

• Treats cancer

  The role of rakta chandan in the treatment of cancer has been widely accepted in Ayurveda. Rakthachandan is rich in bioactive compounds like cytotoxic and anticancer properties that help to cure various types of cancers like breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and pancreatic cancer.

• Treats diabetes

  From the ancient period onwards, drinking water in the heartwood cup has been widely practiced in Ayurveda to cure diabetes. The bark of rakta chandan helps lower blood sugar levels by enhancing insulin secretion due to its anti-diabetic property.

• Treats infectious diseases

  Rakthachandan is rich in antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that help to prevent the entry of bacterias and viruses into the body. .

• Treats chronic inflammations

  Rakthachandan is rich in anti-inflammatory properties that help to cure various inflammatory conditions effectively. .

• Treats high cholesterol

  Rakthachandan is very effective in managing high cholesterol due to the rich content of certain antioxidants. .

• Treats dysentery

  The astringent and drying properties of rakta chandan helps to manage dysentery positively. .

• Treats edema ( swelling)

  According to Ayurveda, an imbalance of Vata and Pitta dosha leads to swelling in the affected area. The anti-inflammatory and pitta balancing properties of rakta chandan helps to cure edema effectively. .

• Treats cough

  As per Ayurveda, Kapha imbalances lead to the development of cough. The generation of excess kapha leads to the accumulation of mucus in the respiratory tract. The sita( cold) and kapha balancing property of rakta chandan helps to manage cough effectively. .

• Treats headache

  The sita( cool) and pitta balancing property of rakta chandan helps to prevent the symptoms of headache and ensures calming effect. .

Ayurvedic Formulations With Raktachandan As An Ingredients

• Guduchyadi Kashayam

  For the treatment of fever with a burning sensation.

• Asanadi Kashayam

  Used in the treatment of skin diseases and diabetes.

• Chandanadi Lauh

  Used for the treatment of chronic fever.

• Drakshovin special tonic

  Used for the treatment of indigestion, anemia, and fatigue.

• Raktansoo tablets

  Used for the treatment of skin detoxification.

• Tarunarka Rasa

  Used for the treatment of acute and chronic fever.

Precautions

Tropical use of rakthachandanam is always safe; however, it is better to consult your Ayurvedic practitioner before using raktachandan during pregnancy and lactating period.

References

• Charaka Samhita. .