Jamal ghota is the name of croton plant native of India and it is grows all through the Eastern part of India. Croton is small tree fifteen to twenty feet high. Its leaves are ovate, petiolate, acuminate, alternate, the margins faintly serrate. The various parts of this herb show strong purgative action and therefore used for constipation.
Botanical Name: Croton tiglium(Linn)
Family Name: Euphorbiaceae
Part Used: Seeds and Seed oil
Vernacular Names
Sanskrit: Jayaphala, Hindi: Jamalghota, Bengali: Jamalghota, Jayaphala, Gujarati: Nepala, Marathi: Jamalgota, Malayalam, Telgu: Nepala, Tamil: Nervalam, English: Purging Croton
Description of Jamal ghota or Croton plant
Jamal ghota plant is a medium-sized with 3-6 m in height; Leaves alternate, toothed, glabrous and pinkish-violet; Flowers are unisexual, monoecious, females without petals; Fruits capsules are ovoid, obtusely 3-lobed and yellow; Seeds are smooth and about 1.3 cm in diameter, with hard brownish-yellow shell.
Flowering during January-May and fruiting in March-July.
Chemical Constituents
The seeds contains about 56 percent croton oil which has strong purgative action on oral intake. It also contains 2 toxic proteins viz. croton globulin and croton albumin and sucrose, a glycoside and crotonoside.
Medicinal Uses of Jamalghota
In Ayurveda this plant is known by names Jayaphala, Dravanti, Danti beej, Tintidi phala. Ayurveda recommends use of its fruits, seeds and root for medicinal purpose. Since the seed oil has carminative and purgative properties so it is used for treating abdominal diseases, weak digestion, constipation, dropsy, enlargement of abdomen etc. It is also used in treatment of mental problems, convulsions, fever, mania, inflammations and the bronchitis.
Ayurvedic medicines Abhyadi Modak, Ichchbedi Ras, Jwar murari and Jalodar ras contains jamal ghota herb.
In Unani syatem, this plant is known as Habb-us-Salaateen, Jamaalgota andHubb-ul-Malook and used as purgative, emetic (causing vomiting) and expectorant. In Unani system, it is used for same purpose as in Ayurveda.
Caution while using jamal ghota
The various parts of Jamalghota plant should be used with caution. These contain toxic resins, oil and have strong purgative action. Strong purgation can cause watery stool in some people on oral intake. This herb and its derivative should not be used in small children and during pregnancy. The root of this plant is used traditionally for causing abortion.