Magnolia champaca (L.) Baill. ex Pierre (= Michelia champaca L.)

DeFilipps, Robert A. & Krupnick, Gary A., 2018, The medicinal plants of Myanmar, PhytoKeys 102, pp. 1-341 : 109-110

Magnolia champaca (L.) Baill. ex Pierre (= Michelia champaca L.)

Names.

Myanmar: saka-wah, chyamka, laran (Kachin), kyom par (Mon), sam lung, mawk (Shan). English: golden champak, michelia, yellow champak.

Range.

Temperate and tropical Asia. Plant grows naturally in Myanmar.

Conservation status.

Least Concern [LC] ( IUCN 2017).

Uses.

Plant sweet and astringent with cooling properties, the flowers, leaves, fruits, bark, and roots are employed in medicines to increase sperm, promote heart function, and control bile and phlegm, as well as in preparations to alleviate vomiting and hemorrhaging of blood, urethral pain, leprosy, poisoning, itching, rashes, and sores. Bark: Used as an antidote, anthelmintic, and diuretic; to treat intermittent fever; also used in medicines to treat leprosy. The powdered bark is mixed with honey and licked to cure dry coughs. A decoction of bark is used as a remedy for chronic gas disorders and inflammation of the joints. Leaf: Used to treat colic. Water from soaking the young leaves is used as eye drops to cleanse the eyes and strengthen vision. A mixture of the juice from the crushed leaves and honey is given to ease chest pain and expel parasites, including threadworm and roundworm. Flower: Used to treat leprosy. A mixture of the crushed flowers and cold water is used as a diuretic and as a remedy for urinary tract and bladder problems. A decoction of the flowers is taken for gastric pain, gas disorders, kidney conditions, and gonorrhea. Fruit: The skin of the fruit is used in medicines to treat leprosy. Fruit, Seed: A paste made with water and either the fruits or the seeds is applied to heal cysts and boils on the thighs. Root: A mixture of yogurt with the crushed dried root or bark is applied as a poultice to heal sores.

Notes.

The medicinal uses of this species in India are discussed in Jain and DeFilipps (1991). Perry (1980) gives the medicinal uses of the species in China, Indo-China, the Malay Peninsula, and Indonesia.

Reported chemical constituents of the species include volatile oil, cineole, isoeugenol, benzoic acid, benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde, p-cresol methyl ether, and alkaloid (alkaloid of the bark tested and found to not be poisonous) ( Perry 1980).

References.

Nordal (1963), Agricultural Corporation (1980), Perry (1980), Forest Department (1999).