The plant parijat, or harsinghar, commonly known as the night jasmine and botanically classified as Nyctanthes arbour tristis is one of the plants mentioned in Hindu mythology and literature. Several colleagues, including Colonel B.L. Raina an expert in Hindu mythology, besides being a leading public health and family planning administrator, have asked me about the medicinal properties of this plant scared to Hindu religion. It rose out of the ocean. Indra took it to heaven and planted it in the garden of Indralok. Since plants are supposed to be used for religious properties because they have medicinal properties, it is naturally assumed that the night jasmine would have great healing properties. Other plants which could be placed in the category of plants associated with religious rites are tulsi, lotus, peepal or the bodhi tree, the bar or the banyan tree and the bael, the wood apple tree.
A thorough review of literature does not, however demonstrate any great medicinal property of the plant. Perhaps its real medicinal powers have not been discovered as yet,
Traditional medicine used the leaves of the night jasmine for bringing down high temperature and for treating rheumatism. It was also used for treating sciatica. Most of the healing effects appear to reside in the leaves of the plant. However the bark of the plant has also been used for afflictions of the chest, particularly for cough which is difficult to treat. The bark is also used as a laxative. It is also a bitter substance and thought to be useful for liver dysfunction. The seeds when powdered, are used for treating diseases of the scalp. Experimental research carried out in the eighties has clearly confirmed the anti-inflammatory effect of jasmine leaves which was subsequently published in journals such as the Journal of Ethnopharmacology and the Indian Journal of Pharmacology. Interestingly, the leaves also showed strong insecticidal effect against the painted bug. Nothing further seemed to have been done about this interesting discovery which appeared in the Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences in 1982 (volume 52, page 305). The details are being provided for readers who may be interested in reading the paper.
One is reminded of similar paper on the anti-insect properties of Azadirachta indica (neem), which was also published in an agricultural journal long before work was carried out on the plant abroad. As a result of this the insecticidal free substance from the neem seed has already been patented. Perhaps, at this stage, one needs to take a good look at both the insecticidal and the anti-inflammatory properties possessed by the leaves of one of plants whose antecedents are steeped in mythology.
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