Babul or Babool Acacia nilotica herb
June 2 2016
The bark, fruit and gum resin of Babul are used in various Ayurvedic herbal preparations. Babul bark is used in oral and dental hygiene products, burn injuries, and in skin diseases. Acacia nilotica is a species of Acacia (wattle) native to Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Babul is a large tree, up to 14 meters highs. It has darkish gray bark and yellow flowers in spherical heads. It occurs wild in India and tropical Africa.
Antibacterial
Gen Dentistry. 2015. Investigation of antibacterial efficacy of Acacia nilotica
against salivary mutans streptococci: a randomized control trial. The
antibacterial action of A. nilotica against MS was similar to that of
chlorhexidine.
Prolactin, milk secretion
Effect of aqueous extract of Babul Acacia nilotica ssp
adansonii on milk production and prolactin release in the rat.
J Endocrinology. 2004; Lompo-Ouedraogo Z, van der Heide D, van der Beek EM,
Swarts HJ, Mattheij JA. Human and Animal Physiology Group,
Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The
Netherlands.
In view of the traditional belief that Babul Acacia nilotica can
stimulate milk production in lactating women, experiments were performed to
determine the effect of an aqueous extract on milk production in rats. Our study
demonstrates that the aqueous extract of Babul Acacia nilotica can stimulate
milk production and prolactin release in the female rat and could consequently
have the properties claimed for lactating women.
Toxicity
A study on the toxicology of Acacia nilotica Babul.
Am J Chin Med. 2000; Al-Mustafa ZH. Department of Pharmacology,
College of Medicine and Medical Sciences King Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi
Arabia.
The potential toxicity of Acacia nilotica Babul was investigated in rats
maintained on 2% and 8% acacia diet for 2 and 4 weeks. No significant changes in
serum parameters of hepatic and renal functions, fasting glucose and
triglycerides were observed. Further, no deaths among treated animals and no
significant histopathological changes in liver sections were noted. It is
concluded that this plant, at 2% and 8% levels, has a low toxicity potential.
Studies on antihypertensive and antispasmodic
activities of methanol extract of Babul Acacia nilotica pods.
Phytother Res. 1999 Gilani AH, Shaheen F, Zaman M, Janbaz KH, Shah BH. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The Aga Khan University
Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan.
A methanol extract of Babul Acacia nilotica pods caused a dose-dependent fall in
arterial blood pressure. Our results indicate that the antihypertensive effect
of Acacia nilotica plant extract is independent of muscarinic receptor
stimulation or adrenoceptor blockade.
Compounds in the Babool plant
Babool has an anti-inflammatory active
androstene steroid. It also has D-pinitol, kaempferol, gallic acid, ellagic
acid, epicatechin, and rutin.