AMLA: AN IMPORTANT RASAYANA MEDICINE

Amla fruits

Plants and minerals have been used for medicinal purposes since ages. This use has ancient roots that span across diverse cultures and countries of the world. The origin of plant medicine can be traced back to prehistoric times where it evolved through trial and error and keen observations. The plants that were observed to have more medicinal properties and ecological importance were linked to gods and goddesses by the sages for their sustainable use and conservation. One such important medicinal and sacred plant is Amla or Amlaki. It is variously known as Indian gooseberry, Emblic myrobalan, Malacca tree, or even Amla in English. Botanically known as Phyllanthus emblica (Synonym: Emblica officinalis), it belongs to the plant family Phyllanthaceae.

NAMES IN INDIAN LANGUAGES

Hindi: Amla, Aonla, Anvula, Ambla •Sanskrit: Amalakam, Āmalaki, Amritaphala, Amrtaphalã, Dhãtri, Dhatriphala, Śivam, Sriphalam, Tisyaphalã, Vayasthã •Marathi: Anvala, Avala, Avalkathi •Bengali: Amla, Amlaki, Amritaphala, Dhatri; •Tamil: Amalaki, Amirta-palam, Attakoram, Nellikkai, Perunelli, Toppi, Toppu-nelli •Malayalam: Nelli, Nellikka, Amalakam •Telugu: Usiri, Usirikaya, Amalakama, Nelli-kaya •Kannada: Betta nelli, Amalaka •Oriya: Aonla •Gujarati: Amalak, Ambala •Urdu: Amla •Manipuri: Heikru •Mizo: Sunhlu

DISTRIBUTION

Amla is native to Tropical and Subtropical Asia where it prefers to grow in the wet tropical biomes up to 1400m above the mean sea level. It commonly occurs in most of the states in India, Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, South-Central and Southeast China, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Island, Malaya, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. It has also been introduced in Cuba, Mauritius, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad and Tobago.

A tree laden with amla fruits

MORPHOLOGY

Amla is a small or medium-sized deciduous tree growing to a height of up to 8-18 m tall. The stem has spreading branches and has grey or brownish bark. The leaves are small, simple, stalkless, and arranged on slender branchlets which can be mistaken for pinnately compound leaves with many leaflets. The leaves are distichous with leaf blades oblong or linear-oblong in shape and 8-23 × 1.5-6 mm in size. The male and female flowers are separate, small, greenish-yellow, or pinkish in colour and arranged on the same branch in fascicles. They bloom in the months of April-May. Each flower has six tepals or perianth lobes and has either stamens or carpels. Fruit is a pale green and globose drupe that measures 1-2 cm in diameter and matures in the months of October-November.

Amla flowers

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS

Amla is rich in tannins (fruit- 28%; leaves- 22%), carbohydrates (approx. 14%; chiefly galactaric acid (4-9%)) and polyphenols (gallic acid (5% ), ethyl gallate, digallic acid, ellagic acid, phyllemblic acid, emblicol, etc.). Tannins are mostly represented by gallotannins (such as biologically active emblicanin-A and -B). Fruits also contain flavonoids (quercetin, rutin, kaempferol in fruit; leucodelphinidin in bark), triterpenoids (lupeol), alkaloids (phyllantidine, phyllantine) and free amino acids (alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine, proline, etc.). Prof. Sukh Dev (2006), from the B.R. Ambedkar Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, reported that there is no free or conjugated ascorbic acid (vitamin C) present in the fruits of amla. The vitamin C-like action (estimation) is due to the presence of emblicanin-A and -B (which have core sugar acid structure similar to that of ascorbic acid) in the fruits. Cooked amla in Chyawanprash has strong anti-oxidant and vitamin C-like activity due to the presence of emblicanin-A and -B, which are highly stable physiologically active compounds. On the other hand, vitamin C is highly unstable and dissociates at high temperature. 

Chemical structure of emblicanin-A

(Image source: Global Substance Registration System (GSRS), NIH)

USES
Amla is one of the most important plants in India. It is used as a food item and medicine on one hand and considered sacred on the other. It also finds use in the tanning industry as well.

I. EDIBLE USES

Amla fruits are edible and can be eaten fresh or cooked as a vegetable. It can also be prepared into chutney, juice, pickle, squash, candies, preserves, jam, etc.

Amla chutney

Fresh amla-mint juice

Amla green tea 

II. SACRED VALUE
Amla is considered a favorite fruit of Lord Krishna. It is believed that all the Gods and Goddesses reside in this tree. A fast is observed and the Amla tree is worshiped on the Navami of Shukla Paksha of Kartik month (known as Amla Navami).

Amla worship (Photograph courtesy: Dr. O.P. Sharma 'Vidyarthi' Ji)

III. MEDICINAL USES

1. Builds Immunity
The various phytochemicals present in amla fruits help in building immunity through the regulation of lymphocyte proliferation and increased production of interleukin-2 and y-interferon.

2. Good for Digestive System
Amla is an integral part of Ayurvedic medicine Triphala (a mixture of emblic myrobalan, beleric myrobalan and chebulic myrobalan) is used for many problems of the digestive system including constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.

3. Antioxidant Properties
Amla is a rich source of antioxidant phytochemicals such as Emblicanin-A and -B. These chemicals prevent free radical generation during stress as well as scavenge them in the human body through enhanced production of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase. The free radicals can cause many diseases including cancers if not removed from the human body.

Readymade amla juice

4. Improves Hair Health
Amla fruits are an excellent home remedy to prevent hair fall and enhance hair growth by stimulating hair follicles. It also prevents premature greying of hair.

5. Hepatoprotective Property
Antioxidants emblicanin A and -B and quercetin present in amla have been reported to cure alcohol, paracetamol, and carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in albino rats.

6. Good for the Management of Diabetes
Amla is reported to be useful in the control of diabetes.

7. Useful in Common Cold
Many phytochemicals present in Amla are helpful in the early curing of the common cold.

8. Improves Eyesight
Many studies have shown that the presence of carotene in amla improves vision. It can reduce the chances of cataract problems and intraocular tension. 

9. Adaptogenic Effect
Regular use of amla has an adaptogenic effect in experimental animals against biological, physical, and chemical stresses.

10. Management of Healthy Weight
Regular use of amla prevents fat synthesis and accumulation in the body.

11. Useful in Dementia
Amla is reported to be useful in treating patients with dementia.

12. Heals Ulcers
Amla extract has been reported to heal gastric ulcers in animal models by reducing offensive factors (acid, pepsin) and increasing the defensive factors (cellular mucus).

13. Cures Pancreatitis
The use of dried fruit powder was found to be effective against experimentally induced pancreatitis in animal models.

14. Reduces Serum Cholesterol
Fresh fruit juice of amla has been reported to reduce serum cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, and LDL (low-density lipoprotein).

15. Anti-Microbial Property
The alcoholic extract of the fruit has antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis (causes food poisoning), and Staphylococcus aureus (causes skin diseases).

Amla candy

REFERENCES

• Acharya Balkrishna. 2008. Secrets of Indian Herbs for Good Health. Divya Prakashan, Haridwar.
• Akbar, S. 2020. Handbook of 200 Medicinal Plants: A Comprehensive Review of Their Traditional Medical Uses and Scientific Justifications. Springer Nature, Switzerland.
• Bennet, S.S.R., Gupta, P.C., and Rao, R.V. 1992. Venerated Plants. Indian Council of Forestry Education and Research, Dehradun.
• Chauhan, N.S. 1999. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Himachal Pradesh. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
• Daniel, M. 2013. Useful Herbs of Planet Earth. Scientific Publisher, Jodhpur.
• Dev, S. 2006. A Selection of Prime Ayurvedic Plant Drugs: Ancient-Modern Concordance. Anamaya Publisher, New Delhi.
• Krishna, N. and Amrithalingam, M. 2014. Sacred Plants of India. Penguin Books.
• Ravindran, P.N. 2020. Sacred & Ritual Plants of India: Lore, Symbolism, Traditions. Notion Press, Chennai.