Talk:Shami
| Section/Chapter | Herb database/Shami |
|---|---|
| Botanical name(s) | Prosopis spicigera Linn. (accepted name: Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce) |
| Family | Mimosaceae (Fabaceae, subfamily Mimosoideae) |
| Availability | Available |
| Contributors | Team Dravyaguna |
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Publisher | Charak Samhita Research, Training and Skill Development Centre |
| DOI | Awaited |
Prosopis spicigera Linn. (currently Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce), popularly known as Shami or Khejri, is a drought-tolerant tree of dry and arid regions of India. It is called "Kalp Taru" or "Wonder Tree" because nearly all its parts are used.[1] In Ayurveda it appears in the Phala Varga and in the Kashaya-skandha of Charak Samhita, and it is described as a Kapha-Pitta pacifying drug. Modern experimental studies have examined its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and wound-healing effects; these are summarised below together with its classical description.
English name
Spunge tree
Regional name: As per API.[2]
- Bengali – Sain, Shami;
- Gujarati – Kheejado, Sami;
- Hindi – Chhonkar, Sami, Chhikur, Jhand, Khejra;
- Kannada – Banni, Kabanni;
- Malayalam – Parampu, Tambu, Vahni;
- Marathi – Sami, Saunder;
- Odia – Shami; Punjabi – Jand;
- Tamil – Vanni; Telugu – Jammi.
Therapeutic Uses
Arsha (piles), Atisara (diarrhoea), Balagraha (psychotic syndrome of children), Bhrama (vertigo), Krimi (worm infestation), Kasa (cough), Kushtha (leprosy / diseases of skin), Netraroga (diseases of the eye), Raktapitta (bleeding disorder), Shvasa (asthma) and Vishavikara (disorders due to poison).[2]
Other Varieties / Other Botanical names
- Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce[3]
- Mimosa cineraria L. (basionym)
Synonyms in Charak Samhita
Shami, Shivaphala, Ishani, Mangalya, Papnashini
Other Synonyms
Saktuphala, Tunga, Keshahantri, Phala, Shiva, Mangalya, Lakshmi, Shamira[4], Shankuphalika[2]
Ayurvedic Pharmacological Properties
| Sr.no. | Pharmacological criteria | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taste (rasa) | Bitter (tikta), Pungent (katu), Astringent (kashaya)[2] |
| 2 | Potency (veerya) | Cold (sheeta) |
| 3 | Post digestion effect (vipaka) | Pungent (katu) |
| 4 | Qualities (guna) | Light (laghu), Rough (ruksha) |
| 5 | Actions (karma) | Pacify Kapha and Pitta; API (leaf): Arshoghna, Krimighna, Kaphapittahara, Kushthaghna, Recaka, Sangrahaka, Vatakara[2] |
Reference in Charak Samhita and its actions
| Sr.no. | Reference in Charak Samhita | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha.Sa. Sutra Sthana 27/160 | Phala Varga |
| 2 | Cha.Sa. Vimana Sthana 8/144 | Kashaya-skandha |
| 3 | Cha.Sa. Kalpa Sthana 1/8 | Deshavichara |
| 4 | Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 14/49 | Dhupana yoga in arsha roga |
Dose
Useful Part
Whole plant (bark, leaf and pod are the parts mainly used)[4]. The API drug is the leaf (patra).[2]
Important Formulations
- Used as a single drug (API, leaf).[2]
Current Availability
Available. The tree occurs in the arid and semi-arid regions of the Indian subcontinent, and it is the state tree of Rajasthan.[5]
Phytoconstituents
Flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins and steroids
- Phytochemical studies of P. cineraria report flavone derivatives (prosogerin A–E), alkaloids (spicigerine and prosophylline), tannins (gallic acid), steroids (stigmasterol, campesterol and sitosterol), fatty acids and amino acids from different parts of the plant.[1]
- Vitamin K, n-octacosyl acetate and patulitrin have also been listed.[4]
- The API lists the leaf constituents as tannin-rich foliage and volatile fatty acid.[2]
Phenolics of the bark
The ethanolic bark extract contains large amounts of phenolic and flavonoid compounds and showed the highest antioxidant and free-radical-scavenging potential among the Prosopis extracts compared in one in vitro study.[6]
Therapeutic Efficacy: Pharmacological Evidence
The evidence summarised below is preclinical (animal and in vitro studies). No controlled human clinical trial of Prosopis cineraria was found during the preparation of this monograph.
Anti-inflammatory activity
A hydro-ethanol extract of the stem bark was tested at 100 and 300 mg/kg in LPS-induced inflammation in Swiss albino mice, and the authors reported anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential against the inflammatory cascade.[5] This supports the traditional use of the bark in inflammatory conditions.
Antidiabetic activity
The chloroform fraction of P. cineraria (50 and 100 mg/kg for 21 days) significantly lowered blood glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, and restored body weight, liver glycogen and serum insulin; in vitro it also showed enzyme-inhibitory (α-amylase) activity.[7]
Wound-healing and antioxidant activity
A phenolic-rich butanol fraction showed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-collagenase and anti-elastase activity in vitro. As an ointment applied for 16 days in rats it accelerated wound repair, increased hydroxyproline content, shortened the epithelialisation period and lowered inflammatory markers.[8] This agrees with the traditional use of Shami for healing of skin wounds.
Other reported activities
Antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anthelmintic, anticancer and antihyperlipidaemic activities have also been reported for the plant; these are mostly single animal or in vitro studies and need confirmation.[5][9]
Safety, Toxicity, and Precautions
- Toxicity: No formal human toxicity data were found during the preparation of this monograph. The pods are eaten as a vegetable in Punjab and Rajasthan.[4]
- Precautions (inference, not from a cited study): Because blood-glucose-lowering effects have been reported in diabetic rats, caution is reasonable in patients taking antidiabetic drugs. Data on use in pregnancy, lactation and children are lacking.
Summary of Therapeutic Profile
| Indication | Experimental finding | Type of evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Shotha / Amavata (inflammation, rheumatism) | Reduced LPS-induced inflammation by stem-bark extract | Mouse model |
| Prameha (diabetes) | Lowered blood glucose and HbA1c, restored insulin and liver glycogen (chloroform fraction) | Rat model; in vitro |
| Vrana (wounds) | Faster wound closure, higher hydroxyproline with butanol-fraction ointment | Rat model; in vitro |
| Oxidative stress | Strong free-radical scavenging by phenolic-rich bark extracts | In vitro |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chaudhary KK, Kumar G, Varshney A, Meghvansi MK, Ali SF, Karthik K, Dhama K, Siddiqui S, Kaul RK. Ethnopharmacological and phytopharmaceutical evaluation of Prosopis cineraria: an overview and future prospects. Current Drug Metabolism. 2018;19(3):192–214. doi:10.2174/1389200218666171031125439
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. Shami (Leaf). Appendix pages CLXXVI–CLXXVIII.
- ↑ Ukani MD, Limbani NB, Mehta NK. A review on the Ayurvedic herb Prosopis cineraria (L) Druce. Ancient Science of Life. 2000;20(1–2):58–70. PMID: 22556999
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Shami (Prosopis spicigera Linn.). Dravyaguna monograph. SDACH Ayurveda college website. Available from: https://www.sdach.ac.in/dravyaguna-vigyan-blogs/shami/
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Sharma P, et al. Phyto-therapeutic potential of stem bark of the wonder tree, Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce in LPS-induced mouse model: an anti-inflammatory study. Clinical Phytoscience. 2020. doi:10.1186/s40816-020-00168-x
- ↑ In vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic activity of ethanolic extract of Prosopis species growing in Rajasthan, India. Vegetos. Available from: https://vegetosindia.org/article/in-vitro-antioxidant-and-antidiabetic-activity-of-ethanolic-extract-of-prosopis-species-growing-in-rajasthan-india
- ↑ Soni LK, Dobhal MP, Arya D, Bhagour K, Parasher P, Gupta RS. In vitro and in vivo antidiabetic activity of isolated fraction of Prosopis cineraria against streptozotocin-induced experimental diabetes: a mechanistic study. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2018. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2018.09.099
- ↑ Yadav E, Singh D, Yadav P, Verma A. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Prosopis cineraria based phenolic rich ointment in wound healing. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2018. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2018.09.180
- ↑ Nemade CT, Baste NS, Bihani MM, Surse S, Gawali SR. Update on phytochemistry and pharmacology of Shami Prosopis cineraria (L) Druce: a review. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 2026;15(3):414–424.