Cedrus deodara (Pinaceae)
Sanskrit Names: Devadaru
English Name: Himalayan ceder Dcodar
Hindu Name: Devadara
Botanical Name: Cedrus deodara
Synonyms: Indra darau, Sura bhuruha, Dukilinam, Bhadradaram Sura kastha, Kiliman
Family: Pinaceae
Description
Cedrus deodara is a species of cedar native to the western Himalayas in eastern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, north-central India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Kashmir), southwestern Tibet and western Nepal, occurring at 1500–3200 m altitude. It is a large evergreen coniferous tree reaching 40–50 m tall, exceptionally 60 m, with a trunk up to 3 m diameter. It has a conic crown with level branches and drooping branchlets.[1]
The leaves are needle-like, mostly 2.5–5 cm long, occasionally up to 7 cm long, slender (1 mm thick), borne singly on long shoots, and in dense clusters of 20-30 on short shoots; they vary from bright green to glaucous blue-green in colour. The female cones are barrel-shaped, 7–13 cm long and 5–9 cm broad, and disintegrate when mature (in 12 months) to release the winged seeds. The male cones are 4–6 cm long, and shed their pollen in autumn.
The inner wood is aromatic and used to make incense. Inner wood is distilled into essential oil. As insects avoid this tree, the essential oil is used as insect repellent on the feet of horses, cattle and camels. It also has antifungal properties and has some potential for control of fungal deterioration of spices during storage. The outer bark and stem are astringent.[9] Its biomedical actions are reported to be carminative, antispasmodic, creates sweating, urination and is aromatic. Deodar’s Ayurvedic actions are reported to increase digestive function, remove toxins from the bowel, alleviate coughing, and cure skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis. Cedar oil is often used for its aromatic properties, especially in aromatherapy. It has a characteristic woody odour which may change somewhat in the course of drying out. The crude oils are often yellowish or darker in colour. Its applications cover soap perfumes, household sprays, floor polishes and insecticides and is also used in microscope work as a clearing oil.
Etymology
The specific epithet and English vernacular name derive from the Sanskrit term devadāru, which means "wood of the gods", a compound of deva (god) and dāru (wood).
Principle Constituents
Classical Categories (Gana)
This herb belongs to the following classical groups:
Caraka Ganas: Stanyashodhana, Anuvasanopaga, katukashkandha
Susruta Ganas: Vatasamshaman
Energetics
Rasa (taste): Tikta (bitter), katu (pungent)
Guna (quality): Laghu (light), Snigdha (unctuous)
Virya (energy): Ushna (heating)
Vipaka (post digestive effect): Katu (pungent)
Prabhava (Special quality): Rasa, Meda (mumps) (filariasis), rasa
Dosha Effect: KP-
Dhatus:
Srotas (channels): Rasavaha, Asthivaha, Mutravaha
Chemical Constituents
Wood oil contains oleo resin, essential, needles of the leaves contains ascorbic acid.
Amapachana - digests ama
Deepana - stimulates digestion
Hridya - heart tonic
Kapha nissaraka - removed kapha
Krumighna - destroys parasites
Kustaghna - relieves skin diseases
Lekhana - reduces or scraps away unwanted tissue
Rasayana - rejuvenation tonic
Pachana - digests ama (toxins)
Pramahagna - anti-diabetic
Raktaprasadana - good for the blood
Shothahara - reduce swelling
Vedanasthapana - removes pain
Important Actions
For joint inflammation and Urinary Tract Infection
Indications
Vatavikara, vedana, sandhivata (arthritis), amavata (rheumatoid arthritis), gudhrasi (sciatica), amadosha, vibandha, adhmana (gas), krumi, hikka, heart weakness, upadamsha (gonorrhoea, mutrakruchara (dysuria, sutika roga, stanya roga, medoroga, jirna jwara (chronic), kusttha, kandu</ss?
External: sandhi vata (osteoarthritis), twacha vikara, vrana shodhana, ropana, dusta-vrana (dirty wounds) karnaroga, karna-shula.
Therapeutic uses
For V/K fevers, gaseous distensions, pulmonary and urinary disorders, rheumatism, piles, kidney stones, antidote for snake poison, bark is astringent good in fevers, diarrhoea, dysentery, and good for all skin disorders, Wood oil is best insect repellent and good for preserving leather.
External use
Inflammation if releaved by its local application. Useful in skin disorders, helminthiasis and ulcers. Local application and oil used in arthritis. Oil (turpentine) very good wound cleaner and healer. Application of oil destroys bacteria from infected wounds. Fomentation of hot water and oil relieves flatulence.
Internal use
Circulatory system: A cardiostimulant, blood purifier and alleviates swelling. Oil useful in mumps, filaria and chancre.
Digestive system: An appetizer, digestant, laxative and also effective in destroying the cause factor of worms.
Central nervous system: Topmost in the analgesics, hence used in chronic inflammatory arthritis, osteoarthritis, sciatic neuralgia and painful conditions like headaches.
Respiratory system: expectorant. In cough caused by kapha, oil given along with dry ginger and yavakshar. Because acts on the respiratory tract and is aromatic, alleviates the foul smell phlegm and hiccoughs caused by vata-kapha. Very good medicine for chronic cough and cold.
Reproductive system: Used in puerperal disorders as it is a uterine tonic and purifies breast milk.
Urinary system:effective in urinary disorders. Being diuretic, alleviates many urinary disorders. Useful in dysuria and gonorrhoea.
Precautions
High Pitta
Safety
No known drug/herb interactions.
Parts Used
Parts used: Bark, Heartwood, oil, leaves, resin
Dosage: Bark powder 1-5g; decoction 50-100ml; oil 20-40 drops
Important Combinations
Preparations: Devarvadi kwatha, churna, rasnadi kwatha, rasnapanvchaka kwatah, punarnavadi mandura, vishagarbha taila, chandraprabha vati
