Fatigue, tiredness without cause, unwillingness to do things are some of the conditions seen in the populace, particularly in the affluent urban sector. The doctor, not finding any reason for it, feel it is psychological, while the affected persons themselves strongly resent the suggestion. Tonics are no help to overcome the complain.
A chance observation made by researchers in Agasthya hills of Kerala may provide us with a simple remedy from plants to prevent or treat fatigue. The Kani tribes in these hills walk long distances every day and are able to do this without getting unduly tired because they take the unripe fruit known locally as Arogyappacha. The fruit is acrid in taste but gives instant stamina when taken.
Some of the ethnobotanical research workers collecting plants in Agasthya hills themselves took the fruit when they got tired of climbing the hills. It has been reported that they felt much more energetic after consuming it. The credit for reporting this goes to the trekking team of the scientists of the All India Coordinated Researched Project on Ethnobiology of the Post Graduate Research Centre in Ayurveda at Thiruvananthapuram.
The tree has been identified as Trichphus zeylanicus. A thorough search of the available literature on medicinal plants of India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Philippines and Burma has been carried out. This plant is not mentioned in any of the books. We are therefore at the beginning of a long road to determine whether the unripe fruit of Trichphus zeylanicus possesses an anti-fatigue effect or not.
It is not necessary to go back to the laboratory and test this fruit on experimental animals. A controlled trial can be carried out on normal people who could, for example, be asked to climb a hill. After a certain time, as they start becoming tired, they would themselves be asked to indicate on a measured scale how tired they feel at that moment. Half the people could be given Trichphus zeylanicus while the other half would be give unripe fruit of another plant. The walkers should not know what they are taking.
The measurement of tiredness in both groups after some more climbing should indicate whether the fruit of Trichphus zeylanicus had a beneficial effect or not. If indeed, the fruit does demonstrate an anti-fatigue effect it could be then worth following up in detail and isolating the active substance. It is hoped that some of our younger scientist would take up a problem of this type which is interesting, innovative and relevant.
It has also been claimed that the fruit also counteracts the feeling of hunger. This also remains to be investigated further. Those who carry out research on medicines regularly receive claims for plants and alternative medicines from plants supposed to cure different disease. All such claims cannot be followed up.
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