East Indian Satinwood

Chloroxylon swietenia

Physical Characteristics

Chloroxylon swietenia is a deciduous Tree growing to 18 m (59ft) by 18 m (59ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Distribution

E. Asia - India, Sri Lanka.

Habitats

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Oil Edible Uses: Oil The seeds contain 16% non-drying oil[ 299 ] which is probably inedible. See medicinal uses below.

Medicinal Uses

Antiasthmatic Antibacterial Antifungal Antirheumatic Astringent Febrifuge Malaria Parasiticide In India most plant parts are used in traditional medicine. Research has shown the presence of various medically active substances in the plant. Coumarins and quinolinone alkaloids have been identified in the stem bark[ 299 ]. Coumarins, and alkaloid and 2,4-dihydroxy-5-prenycinnamic acid are found in the heartwood[ 299 ]. An essential oil in the leaves contains the terpenes limonene, germacrene D, geijerene, pregeijerene, trans-_-ocimene and methyl eugenol[ 299 ]. Both the leaf and the stem oils exhibit moderate to strong activities against a panel of bacteria and fungi[ 299 ]. The essential oil from the leaves and stems, plus several isolated compounds, display significant mosquitocidal activity by fumigation against Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus, as well as activity against tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura[ 299 ]. Methanol extracts of the dried leaves exhibit good analgesic activity[ 299 ]. The crushed leaves are applied externally to treat wounds, snakebites and rheumatism[ 299 ]. A paste of the leaves and roots is taken internally to treat headache and is applied to the forehead as a balm for the same purpose[ 299 ]. The root bark in milk is drunk to treat impotence[ 299 ]. A bark extract is considered astringent and taken to treat fever, chest pain and in a mixture with other plants to treat asthma[ 299 ]. In friction it is used to treat bruises and painful joints[ 299 ].

Known Hazards

None known