Also known as Terminalia.
Terminalia is a tree. Three species of terminalia are used for medicine, especially as part of Ayurvedic medicine. These species are Terminalia arjuna, Terminalia bellerica, and Terminalia chebula. Terminalia is most commonly used for heart ailments including heart failure and chest pain. It is also used for diabetes, high cholesterol, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
This tree yields smallish, ribbed and nut-like fruits which are picked when still green and then pickled, boiled with a little added sugar in their own syrup or used in preserves. The seed of the fruit, which has an elliptical shape, is an abrasive seed enveloped by a fleshy and firm pulp. Seven types of fruit are recognized (vijaya, rohini, putana, amrita, abhaya, jivanti, and chetaki), based on the region where the fruit is harvested, as well as the colour and shape of the fruit. Generally speaking, the vijaya variety is preferred, which is traditionally grown in the Vindhya Range of west-central India, and has a roundish as opposed to a more angular shape. The fruit also provides material for tanning leather and dyeing cloth.
Terminalia chebula is a main ingredient in the Ayurvedic formulation Triphala which is used for kidney and liver dysfunctions.The dried fruit is also used in Ayurveda as a purported antitussive, cardiotonic, homeostatic, diuretic, and laxative.
