Potential medicinal tree Bael with antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal properties | Big Umbrella
Bael tree is known in various names like Bael, Bell, Bengal Quince, Golden Apple, Japanese Bitter Orange, Stone Apple, Wood Apple etc. This tree is generally found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia but can be found also in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia.
The scientific name of Bael is Aegle marmelos. It belongs to the Rutaceae family. The Bael fruit has anthelmintic and anti-fungal properties. Anthelmintic property is an activity by which internal parasites can be expelled from the body. Bael leaves have nutritional and medicinal properties. It has antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, antidiabetic and hepatoprotective properties also. Bael leaves are used as a medicinal herb because of all these properties.
Bael fruit and Bael leaf are being used in Ayurveda since ancient times. Almost every part of the Bael tree has medicinal properties that are used to overcome many common health problems and serious illness too. The potential medicinal tree Bael has many uses in traditional medicine.
Extract of the Bael tree is very beneficial for the people who have respiratory problems. According to Ayurveda, a type of oil is extracted from the Bael tree. This oil is helpful in effectively curing respiratory problems other than asthma and cold. This oil is prepared by using the extract of the Bael tree barks or leaves.
Chemical Components in Bael leaf
Some alkaloids are found in Bael leaves like Ethyl Cinnamamide, Halfordinol etc. Among terpenoids, α-Phellanderene, p-cymene, Limonene are found in Bael leaf extract. Several aromatic compounds generally named as coumarins are found in Bael leaf extract like Marmelosin, Marmesin, Methyl Ether, Xanthotoxol, Scopoletin, Imperatorin, Marmim, Alloimperatorin, Scoparone, Umbelliferone, Psoranel, Marmelide etc.
Several phenylpropanoids are found in Bael extract like Hydroxycoumarins, Phenylpropenes, Lignans etc. Bael leaves have tannins like Skimmianine or 4,7,8-Trimethoxyfuro-quinoline. Polysaccharides like Galactose, Arabinose, Uronic Acid, L-rhamanose are found in the extract. Among the flavonoids, Rutin, Flavone, Flavan-3-ols, Flavone Glycosides are also found.
Antibacterial activity of Bael extract
Some scientific studies support that extract of Bael tree has significant action against deadly bacteria. Scientists researched with three types of solutions — Methanol, Chloroform and Aqueous combining with the extracts of Bael leaves, barks and fruits. They used ‘Disc Diffusion Method’ against several bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis, Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella paratyphi A, Salmonella paratyphi B etc.
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