Phyllanthus emblica (syn.
Emblica officinalis), the
Indian gooseberry, or Dhatrik (in Maithili), or
amla from Sanskrit
amalika, Tamil நெல்லி, Marathi आवळा, Hindi आवला, Bengali আমলকি is a
deciduous tree of the family
Phyllanthaceae. It is known for its edible
fruit of the same name.
Plant anatomy and harvesting[edit]
The tree is small to medium in size, reaching 8 to 18 m in height, with a crooked trunk and spreading branches. The branchlets are glabrous or finely pubescent, 10–20 cm long, usually deciduous; the leaves are simple, subsessile and closely set along branchlets, light green, resembling pinnate leaves. The flowers are greenish-yellow. The fruit is nearly spherical, light greenish yellow, quite smooth and hard on appearance, with six vertical stripes or furrows.
Ripening in autumn, the berries are harvested by hand after climbing to upper branches bearing the fruits. The taste of Indian gooseberry is sour, bitter and astringent, and it is quite fibrous. In India, it is common to eat gooseberries steeped in salt water and
turmeric to make the sour fruits palatable
[citation needed]. It is also used to
straighten hair.
Medical research[edit]
Experimental preparations of leaves, bark or fruit have shown potential efficacy against laboratory models of disease, such as for
inflammation,
cancer, age-related renal disease, and
diabetes.
[6][7][8]
A human pilot study demonstrated a reduction of blood cholesterol levels in both normal and hypercholesterolemic men with treatment.
[9] Another recent study with
alloxan-induced diabetic rats given an aqueous amla fruit extract has shown significant decrease of the blood glucose, as well as triglyceridemic levels and an improvement of the liver function caused by a normalization of the liver-specific enzyme
alanine transaminase activity.
[10]
Chemical research[edit]
Cultural and religious significance[edit]
In the Sanskrit Buddhist tradition half an amalaka fruit was the final gift to the Buddhist sangha by the great Indian emperor Asoka. This is illustrated in the Asokavadana in the following verses: "A great donor, the lord of men, the eminent Maurya Asoka, has gone from being lord of Jambudvipa [India] to being lord of half a myrobalan." (Strong, 1983, p. 99)
[15] This deed became so famous that a stupa was created to mark the place of the event in modern day Patna and was known as the Amalaka stupa.
According to a Tamil legend,
Avvaiyar (
Tamil:
ஔவையார்), a female poet, ethicist and political activist of the
Sangam period was gifted with one amla by King
Athiyaman to give her long life.
The tree is considered sacred by Hindus as the
Vishnu is believed to dwell here. The tree is worshipped on
Amalaka Ekadashi.
In other Hindu myths, Aamla is said to have originated from the drops of
Amrit which spilled on earth accidentally, due to the fight of Gods and Demons after
ksheera sagar manthan. And hence also this religious belief makes claims that it almost cures every disease and is also good in extending the longevity of life.
Traditional uses of amlaki[edit]
Medicinal use[edit]
In traditional Indian medicine, dried and fresh fruits of the plant are used. All parts of the plant are used in various
Ayurvedic/Unani medicine (
Jawarish amla) herbal preparations, including the fruit, seed, leaves, root, bark and flowers.
[16] According to Ayurveda, aamla fruit is sour (
amla) and astringent (
kashaya) in taste (
rasa), with sweet (
madhura), bitter (
tikta) and pungent (
katu) secondary tastes (
anurasas).
[16] Its qualities (
gunas) are light (
laghu) and dry (
ruksha), the postdigestive effect (
vipaka) is sweet (
madhura), and its energy (
virya) is cooling (
shita).
[17]
According to Ayurveda, aamla balances all three doshas. While aamla is unusual in that it contains five out of the six tastes recognized by Ayurveda, it is most important to recognize the effects of the "virya", or potency, and "vipaka", or post-digestive effect. Considered in this light, aamla is particularly helpful in reducing
pitta due to its cooling energy.
[16] It also balances both Pitta and
vata by virtue of its sweet taste. The
kapha is balanced primarily due to its drying action. It may be used as a
rasayana (rejuvenative) to promote longevity, and traditionally to enhance digestion (
dipanapachana), treat
constipation (
anuloma), reduce fever (
jvaraghna), purify the blood (
raktaprasadana), reduce cough (
kasahara), alleviate asthma (
svasahara), strengthen the heart (
hrdaya), benefit the eyes (
chakshushya), stimulate hair growth (
romasanjana), enliven the body (
jivaniya), and enhance intellect (
medhya).
[16][17]
In Ayurvedic polyherbal formulations, Indian gooseberry is a common constituent, and most notably is the primary ingredient in an ancient herbal
rasayana called
Chyawanprash.
[12] This formula, which contains 43 herbal ingredients as well as clarified butter, sesame oil, sugar cane juice, and honey, was first mentioned in the
Charaka Samhita as a premier rejuvenative compound.
[18][19]
A jar of South Indian
Andhra amla pickle
In Chinese traditional therapy, this fruit is called
yuganzi (余甘子), which is used to cure throat inflammation.
Emblica officinalis tea may ameliorate
diabetic neuropathy due to aldose reductase inhibition.
[20] In rats it significantly reduced blood glucose, food intake, water intake and urine output in diabetic rats compared with the non‐ diabetic control group.
[21]
Culinary use[edit]
Particularly in South India, the fruit is
pickled with salt, oil, and spices. Aamla is eaten raw or cooked into various dishes. In
Andhra Pradesh, tender varieties are used to prepare
dal (a lentil preparation), and
amle ka murabbah, a sweet dish indigenous to the northern part of India (wherein the berries are soaked in sugar syrup for a long time till they are imparted the sweet flavor); it is traditionally consumed after meals.
Other uses[edit]
Popularly used in
inks,
shampoos and hair oils, the high
tannin content of Indian gooseberry fruit serves as a
mordant for fixing dyes in fabrics.
[16] Amla shampoos and hair oil are traditionally believed to nourish the hair and scalp and prevent premature grey hair.
[citation needed]
Alternative names for Indian gooseberry[edit]
Names of this tree in Indian and other languages include:
Also found are the names emblic, emblic myrobalan, malacca tree and the variants in spelling aola, ammalaki, aamvala, aawallaa, dharty, nillika, and nellikya.
Gallery[edit]
Fruit with young leaves and flower buds.
-
-
-
Bark of the Indian goosebery.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- Jump up^ "Phyllanthus emblica information from NPGS/GRIN". US Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
- Jump up^ Saeed S, Tariq P (Jan 2007). "Antibacterial activities of Emblica officinalis and Coriandrum sativum against Gram negative urinary pathogens". Pak J Pharm Sci 20 (1): 32–5.PMID 17337425.
- Jump up^ Penolazzi, L.; Lampronti, I.; Borgatti, M.; Khan, M.; Zennaro, M.; Piva, R.; Gambari, R. (2008)."Induction of apoptosis of human primary osteoclasts treated with extracts from the medicinal plant Emblica officinalis". BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 8: 59.doi:10.1186/1472-6882-8-59 . PMC 2587459. PMID 18973662. edit
- Jump up^ Ngamkitidechakul, C.; Jaijoy, K.; Hansakul, P.; Soonthornchareonnon, N.; Sireeratawong, S. (2010). "Antitumour effects of phyllanthus emblica L.: Induction of cancer cell apoptosis and Inhibition of in vivo tumour promotion and in vitro invasion of human cancer cells". Phytotherapy Research 24 (9): 1405–1413. doi:10.1002/ptr.3127 . PMID 20812284. edit
- Jump up^ Sidhu, S.; Pandhi, P.; Malhotra, S.; Vaiphei, K.; Khanduja, K. L. (2011). "Beneficial Effects ofEmblica officinalisinl-Arginine-Induced Acute Pancreatitis in Rats". Journal of Medicinal Food14 (1–2): 147–155. doi:10.1089/jmf.2010.1108 . PMID 21138365. edit
- Jump up^ Ganju L, Karan D, Chanda S, Srivastava KK, Sawhney RC, Selvamurthy W (Sep 2003)."Immunomodulatory effects of agents of plant origin". Biomed Pharmacother. 57 (7): 296–300. doi:10.1016/S0753-3322(03)00095-7 . PMID 14499177.
- Jump up^ Yokozawa T, Kim HY, Kim HJ, et al. (Sep 2007). "Amla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) attenuates age-related renal dysfunction by oxidative stress". J Agric Food Chem. 55 (19): 7744–52.doi:10.1021/jf072105s . PMID 17715896.
- Jump up^ Rao TP, Sakaguchi N, Juneja LR, Wada E, Yokozawa T (2005). "Amla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) extracts reduce oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats". J Med Food 8(3): 362–8. doi:10.1089/jmf.2005.8.362 . PMID 16176148.
- Jump up^ Jacob A, Pandey M, Kapoor S, Saroja R (Nov 1988). "Effect of the Indian gooseberry (amla) on serum cholesterol levels in men aged 35-55 years". Eur J Clin Nutr 42 (11): 939–44.PMID 3250870.
- Jump up^ Qureshi SA, Asad W, Sultana V (Jan 2009). "The Effect of Phyllantus emblica Linn on Type — II Diabetes, Triglycerides and Liver — Specific Enzyme". Pakistan Journal of Nutrition. 8 (2): 125–128. doi:10.3923/pjn.2009.125.128 .
- Jump up^ Tarwadi K, Agte V (Aug 2007). "Antioxidant and micronutrient potential of common fruits available in the Indian subcontinent". Int J Food Sci Nutr 58 (5): 341–9.doi:10.1080/09637480701243905 . PMID 17558726.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c Dharmananda S. Emblic Myrobalans: Amla, Institute of Traditional Medicine [1]
- Jump up^ Bhattacharya, A.; Chatterjee, A.; Ghosal, S.; Bhattacharya, S. K. (1999). "Antioxidant activity of active tannoid principles of Emblica officinalis (amla)". Indian journal of experimental biology37 (7): 676–680. PMID 10522157. edit
- Jump up^ Habib-ur-Rehman, Yasin KA, Choudhary MA, et al. (Jul 2007). "Studies on the chemical constituents of Phyllanthus emblica". Nat. Prod. Res. 21 (9): 775–81.doi:10.1080/14786410601124664 . PMID 17763100.
- Jump up^ Strong, J. S. (1983) The Legend of King Asoka, New York: Princeton University Press
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Caldecott T. Amalaki
- ^ Jump up to:a b National R&D Facility for Rasayana - Amalaki
- Jump up^ Samhita C. Ed., translation by the Shree Gulabkunverba Society, Volume 4. Chikitsa Sthana, Jamnagar, India: 1949
- Jump up^ Indian Ministry of Health and Family Planning. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India. Part I. 1st ed. Delhi, 1978.
- Jump up^ Puppala, M; Ponder, J; Suryanarayana, P; Reddy, GB; Petrash, JM; LaBarbera, DV (2012). "The isolation and characterization of β-glucogallin as a novel aldose reductase inhibitor from Emblica officinalis.". PLoS One 7 (4). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031399 .
- Jump up^ Tiwari, V.; Kuhad, A.; Chopra, K. (2011). "Emblica officinalis Corrects Functional, Biochemical and Molecular Deficits in Experimental Diabetic Neuropathy by Targeting the Oxido-nitrosative Stress Mediated Inflammatory Cascade". Phytotherapy Research 25 (10): 1527–1536.doi:10.1002/ptr.3440 . PMID 21394805. edit
Further reading[edit]
- Winston, David; Maimes, Steven (2007). Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief. Healing Arts Press. ISBN 1-59477-158-8. Contains a detailed monograph on Emblica officinalis (Amla; Indian gooseberry; Amalaki) as well as a discussion of health benefits.
- Puri, Harsharnjit Singh (2002). "Amalaki (Phyllanthus emblica)". Rasayana: Ayurvedic Herbs for Longevity and Rejuvenation. Traditional Herbal Medicines for Modern Times, Vol. 2. Boca Raton: CRC. pp. 22–42. ISBN 0-415-28489-9.
- Caldecott, Todd (2006). Ayurveda: The Divine Science of Life. Elsevier/Mosby. ISBN 0-7234-3410-7. Contains a detailed monograph on Phyllanthus emblica (Amla; Indian gooseberry; Amalaki) as well as a discussion of health benefits and usage in clinical practice. Available online at http://www.toddcaldecott.com/index.php/herbs/learning-herbs/397-amalaki
Ever wonder why almost all Ayurvedic preparations contain amla? Or why it is suggested that everyone should have one piece of amla on a daily basis? Well studies have shown that amla or the Indian gooseberry is packed with nutrients and can actually help you live a longer healthier life. 
_fruit_with_young_leaves_%26_flower_buds_at_Jayanti,_Duars,_West_Bengal_W_Picture_045.jpg)
_new_leaves_at_Jayanti,_Duars,_West_Bengal_W_Picture_039.jpg)
_at_Jayanti,_Duars,_West_Bengal_W_Picture_045.jpg)
_trunk_at_Jayanti,_Duars,_West_Bengal_W_Picture_041.jpg)
