'Miracle' plant from Saikot
Curative values identified, scientific name given
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 10: Along with identification of the medicinal properties found in the plant (Chawilien Damdei) in Saikot of Churachandpur district, which has been in the news for quite sometime now for its curative powers, a team of researchers from Life Sciences Department of Manipur University has able to assign a scientific name to the plant for the first time.

Talking to The Sangai Express in this connection, Potsangbam Kumar, Associate Professor of Life Sciences Department, MU who led the team said subsequent to the publication of the news report of Chawilien Damdei, traditionally known as Kam-Sabut, in this paper, his team conducted a research and submitted the report to the Botanical Survey of India at Shillong which finally gave the scientific name of Croton Caudatus Gieseler to the plant under the family of Euphorbia ceae.

Asso Prof P Kumar of MU (L) and the curative leaves

The code number given newly to the scientifically recognised plant by the Botanical Survey of India, Shillong is Acc No.96367 while that given by the Manipur University is MU Coll No-004107, Kumar said, while disclosing that the plant has curative medicinal qualities for cancer, diabetes, malaria and indigestion, etc.

Normally, active compounds like crotsparinine, crotoflorine and sparsiflorine are found in the leaves of the plants under the family of Euphorbia ceae.

So further research is being conducted to find out whether these active compounds are also present in the leaves of the plant found in Saikot.

So far, presence of dotriacontamol, bamyrin and b-sitosterol in the roots and barks of the plant have been detected.

Mentioning that at present there is huge demand for his herbal medicine and people from various parts of Manipur as well as from adjoining States like Mizoram, Nagaland are coming to get the plant extract, Kumar expressed serious concern over mode of collecting the plant leaves from the forest in large scale to meet the growing demand.

In such a scenario, there is a possible threat to this medicinal plant, he said, while drawing the attention of the Central Government, the State Government and all the NGOs so as to protect the plant for future use.

There is also report of smuggling out the plants to other neighbouring States which are comparatively advanced in research work, Kumar said, adding that steps should be taken up for patenting of the plant.

It may be noted here after one 70-year old Cancer patient, Chawilien of Saikot village claimed that the swelling near his ear had vanished on drinking the extracts of the plant, there has been huge demand for this herbal medicine traditionally being used as veterinary medicine.

With a period of four-months times, a centre care centre has been set up at Saikot named as 'Chawilien Cancer Medicine Research Agency Care Centre', after the patient.