Atibrihatpahala / Jack Tree (Artocarpus Integra)- Ayurvedic Properties, Effects On Doshas & Dosage

Description

Ayurvedic herbs and spices play a major role in the holistic approach to health and wellness, this is a science that is continuously working on the promotion of good health without giving any side effects and is used with only natural ingredients. It works with some changes in Diet and Yoga that aid to give proper protection from the disease. Ayurveda is a traditional approach to medicines that originated in India, this process helps us to maintain wellness in our mental, spiritual, and physical health through some typical diet changes. Ayurveda medicines have several proven medicinal benefits that help us to get cures for diseases that cannot be treated by English medicines.

Atibrihatpahala, Jack tree, Artocarpus Integra

General Information

Ayurvedic herbs are proven to give several benefits to living being like improves vitality, is very helpful in purifying and detoxifying the blood and body the use certain herbs, boosting mental health, improving metabolic strength, aids in weight loss, improving the skin texture and also doesn’t give any side-effect like English medicines. Atibrihatphala shows various health-beneficial perspectives that help with certain aspects of a person’s health. Jack tree is an Ayurvedic medicine that helps to treat wounds and Vataj disorders, like Bell’s palsy, enhances the sperm count by improving vitality and motility and it also helps to provide strength to the body, prevents diarrhoea and various skin disorders.

Special Note About This Plant

Ati Brihat Phala belongs to the Moraceae family and has the Latin name Artocarpus Integra. It provides great nourishment and strength to the body, the latex of this fruit helps in healing the wound and helps in reducing inflammatory infections. Various diseases that originated from the Vata dosha predominance like Bell’s palsy, or trigeminal neuralgia can be treated with this medicinal herb. This herb is very heavy to digest so take this medicinal herb with the strict guidance of pathya-apathya while using this Ayurvedic medicine. The fruits of this plant are enriched with carbohydrate beta carotene and sucrose. Fruits, leaves, bark, and latex are used by this plant to treat various health benefits. It is found in the lower areas of the Himalayas at the elevation of 4000 ft like in Assam, Bihar, Orissa, middle areas of India, and southern areas of India.

Systemic Classification

Botanical Name – Artocarpus Integra
Family – Moraceae

Ancient Verse

Reference – Bhavprakash Nighantu / Amradiphala Varga

Interpretation of Shloka – Panas, kantakiphala, palas, tibrihatphala are the synonyms. Its ripened fruit is coolant, moist, pacifies pitta and vata dosha, helpful in strengthening, sweet in taste, good for kapha dosha and muscle growth, this is great in strengthening, enhances the shukr dhatu, good for bleeding disorders, reduces the damage and ulcer formation. If the fruit is unripened, vishtambha, increases the Vata dosha, with its kashaya (astringent) and sweet taste, heavy in digestion, inducing burning, and is used to increase the Kapha dosh and Meda dhatu. Its seeds are aphrodisiac, sweet in taste, heavy, induce constipation, and helpful as a diuretic. Seedpulp is specifically used to manage the ascites and increases digestive fire.

Synonyms

Kantkiphala (the fruit is consisting of thorns)
Atibrihataphala (bigger fruit)
Amashayaphala (fruit resembles to abdomen)

Other Vernacular Names

In Sanskrit – panas, kantkiphala (the fruit is consisting of thorns)
In Hindi – Katahal
In Bengal – Kantal
In Gujarati – Phanas
In English – Jack tree

Habitat

This is a big wide tree, reaching up to a height of fifty to sixty feet, it is cultivated all over India most commonly in temperate climates.

Its Bark – This tree is thickened and broken, it consists of milky latex.
Its Leaves – are thickened and are oval to round in shape and can be long up to four to six inches and make a shining look over the upper surface.
Its Flowers – are small and kind of hidden but its fruits are large in size and grow up to two to three feet with sharp spikes on their outer surface.
Ripened Fruit is yellow in colour and sweet in taste.
Its Seeds – are kin of oval to round in shape and is of a thin layer and usually found in between the months of April to June.

Classical Categorization

Acharya Sushrut – has also mentioned its Rasa and Gunna in their respective Samhita.
Bhavprakash – has described this medicinal plant in their textbooks.

Ayurvedic Properties Of Ripened Fruit

Rasa (Taste) – Madhur (Sweet), kashaya (Astringent)
Guna (Quality) – Guru (Heavy), Snigadh (Moist)
Veerya (Potency) – Sheeta (Cold)
Vipaka (Post digestive effect) – Madhur (Sweet).
Karma (Action) – Its Ripened fruit helps to balance the Vata and Pitta dosha.
Projyang (Part used) – Fruits, leaves, latex, and bark are used for this tree.

Effects On Doshas

Its ripened fruit helps to balance the Vata and Pitta dosha.

Its unripened fruit helps to increase the Kapha and may vitiate the Vata and Pitta dosha. Its seeds are slightly astringent in taste and increase the vata dosha and the pulp of the seed is aphrodisiac in nature and balances the Pitta dosha.

Practical Uses

This fruit provides strength and nourishment to the body, and it can be consumed moderately according to the strength of your digestive fire and metabolic power.
Wound healing can be promoted by the latex of this fruit, and also helps to reduce the inflammation of wound healing.
Jackfruit leaves are used by heating slightly with some application of sesame oil that is also very good vata Shamak and then applied over the affected area like on cheek region and the management of Bell’s palsy and trigeminal neuralgia.
Ripened Jackfruit is good for blood purification and is good in blood coagulant properties, that help to control the bleeding from any wound.
The decoction of jack fruit bark is also very helpful in managing various Skin disorders, or also helps to treat Diarrhoea.
This also helps to enhance the sperm count by improving their vitality and quantity as well as quality.
Roots and leaves decoction is also very useful in treating the poisoning cases of insect bites or snake bites.
In glandular swellings, the latex of the Jack tree is used by mixing up the vinegar to gain good results.
This herb is also used to manage cough, cold and asthmatic problems related to the respiratory system.
Traditionally this plant can be given as a great heart tonic, to improve the strength and immunity in the body.
This plant is said to be grahi or a good absorbent in nature and is useful in diarrhoea and in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Flowers of the Jack tree are used to cleanse the oral cavity.
This medicinal plant is also used to treat the burning sensation of the epigastric region, imparts the taste, helps to regenerate the Dhatus, and is heavy in qualities.