Witnessed by: Ayurveda · Western
Salacia (Salacia reticulata), of the Celastraceae (Hippocrateaceae) family. Large woody climber; native range: moist forests of Sri Lanka and southern India. Globally recognized as saptarangi, saptachakra in Sanskrit, saptrangi in Hindi, and salacia, kothala himbutu in English. The part used is root and stem bark. Astringent, bitter, reddish woody bark and root.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
SALACIA
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Salacia
- Scientific name
- Salacia reticulata Wight
- Family
- Celastraceae (Hippocrateaceae)
Form
- Part used
- root and stem bark
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- astringent · bitter (kashaya, tikta)
- Western
- astringent · bitter
Temperature
Ayurveda: cooling (sheeta)
Western: cool
convergence: both {witness_count} witnesses reckon it cooling
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- Western
- blood · digestion
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- pramehaghna (antidiabetic), lekhana (fat-scraping), kaphahara and kushtaghna; the foremost drug for madhumeha, obesity and skin disease
- Western
- hypoglycaemic, alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, antiobesity and hepatoprotective; for type-2 diabetes, prediabetes and metabolic syndrome
Cautions
Contraindications: risk of hypoglycaemia with insulin or oral hypoglycaemics; pregnancy
Toxicity: may cause flatulence and mild gastrointestinal upset
Interactions
- Western
- antidiabetic agents: additive blood-glucose lowering through alpha-glucosidase inhibition
This is the card. Sign in for the full four-tradition entry — the aligned TCM · Ayurveda · Western · Unani reading, actions, dosing and cautions.