Ayurvedic name

Viavidang, Bai, Bai bidang Krimighna, Chitramandula, Valle

UNANI NAME

Baobarang, Babrang

Hindi name

Baberana, Wawrung

English name

Embelia

Trade name

Vidanga

Parts used

Berries, Roots

Morphological Characteristics

It is a large scandent shrub with long branches, slender, flexible, terete and long internodes. The bark is studded with lenticels. Leaves are coriaceous, 5X2-4 cm long, elliptic or elliptic lanceolate, shortly and obtusely acuminate, entire, glabrous on both sides, shining above, pales and somewhat silvery beneath, base rounded or acute and main nerves numerous. Petioles are more or less margined and glabrous.

Floral Characteristics

Flowers are small, greenish-yellow, numerous in lax panicle racemes. Calyx is minute, sepals connate, broadly triangular, ovate and ciliate. Petals are 5 and free. Stamens are 5, but shorter than the petals. Flowering time is February. Fruits are 2.4-4.0 mm in diameter and globular with warty surface, smooth, succulent. The colour of fruit is dull black and rarely dull red.

Distribution

The plant is found in moist and shady places up to an altitude of 1500 meter.

Climate and Soil

Tropical and subtropical climate is required for the cultivation of this crop. Medium black well drained soils are best suited for the crop. The optimum temperature required for the crop is 18 C-35 C, with annual precipitation of 700 to 1500 mm.

Propagation Material

E. ribs is propagated through seeds.

Agro-technique

Planting in the Field Land Preparation and Fertilizer Application: Crop is raised through direct sowing of seeds in the field during June-July. The field is well ploughed followed by harrowing to bring the soils to a fine tilth and free from weeds. The application of organic manure (FYM) at the rate of 5-10 t/ha is recommended.

  • Transplanting and Optimum Spacing: Seeds are sown directly in the field at optimum spacing of 1.0 X1.0 meter.
  • Intercultural Operations: The interculture operations like weeding, protective irrigation, support or staking are to be done periodically as and when required.

Harvest management

  • Crop Maturity and Harvesting: The crop matures after 5-6 months of its sowing and the fruiting starts in October-November, when these are plucked and stored after shade drying.
  • Chemical Constituents: Seeds of Embelia ribes contain embelin 2.5–3.1%; quercitol 1.0%; fatty ingredients 5.3% and alkaloid schristembine, a resinoid, tannins and minute quantity of volatile oils.
  • Yield and Cost of Cultivation: The crop yield is 190-200 kg seeds per hectare. Rs. 42500/- is the cost of cultivation for one hectare.

Therapeutic Uses

The fruits of Embelia ribes known in commerce as Baobarang are recommended for relieving headache, rhinitis, hemorrhage, epilepsy and insomnia. The decoction of dried fruits is used for fever and for chest and skin disease. Paste is applied for skin infection. The drug also exhibits significant anti-fertility, antipyretic and antibacterial activity. The fruit powder, when taken with milk, followed by a purgative has been one of the ancient remedies to get rid of tapeworms. An infusion of the roots is given in the treatment of cough and diarrhoea. Fruits show antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Embelin, which is one of the active principles of the drug, is reported to possess a property of coloring silk and woolen fabrics.