Tamarind: Tamarindus indica is a common fruit tree of the tropics. Leaves, fruit, seeds hold various properties used in healing of diseases in herbal medicine.

1. Healing power
of
TAMARIND
Tamarindus indica
Presented by
Dr. Sudhakar Kokate
Director PPRC, India

2. Tamarind
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3. Tamarind
 Common fruit tree of the tropics
 Family Fabaceae (Leguminosae) comprising
700 genera and 17,000 species
 Valuable timber species
 Hermaphroditic plant with bisexual flowers
 Pollinated by honey bees
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4. Tamarind
 Tall, spreading tree life 60 – 150 years
 Compound leaves for shade
 Long bean pods with brittle brown shells
 Unripe – shell greenish brown
 When ripe – shell reddish brown
 1 kg of fruit contains – 1000 seeds in India
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5. Tamarind tree
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6.  One tree produce 150 – 800 kg of fruits
annually with 30 – 35 % pulp, 11 – 30 %
shells and fiber, 33 – 40 % seeds
 Leaves are an important source of food
and herbal medicine
 Seeds are a cheap source of protein
Tamarind
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7.  Edible pulp of ripe fruit is used as
flavouring agent in soups, jams, chutneys,
sauces and juices
 The fruit pulp richest natural source of
Tartaric acid (8 – 18 %)
Tamarind
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8. Tamarind fruit
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9.  Important material used in sizing of
textiles, paper, pickles and paste
 Tamarind juice rich in protein and a cheap
source of protein to alleviate protein
malnutrition widespread in many countries
Tamarind
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10. Food value of tamarind*
Ingredient Pulp (ripe)
Calories 115
Moisture 28 – 52 g
Protein 3.10 g
Carbohydrates 67.4g
Calcium 35 – 170 mg
Iron 1.3 – 10.9 mg
Potassium 375 mg
Tartaric acid 8 – 23.8 mg
* 100 gmPPRC/INDIA 09

11. Food value of tamarind
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12.  To cool body system and cleanse the blood
 The pulp is used in Chinese medicine
 Leaves and roots contain vitexin,
glycosides, isovitexin orientin, isoorentin
and primary amines
Healing power of tamarind
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13. Properties of tamarind
 Cathartic
 Astringent
 Febrifuge
 Anti-septic
 Anti-fungal
 Anti-
inflammatory
 Anti-bacterial
(Limyati 1998 De et. al. 1999)
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14. Medicinal uses of tamarind
 Fruit pulp used as gentle laxative
 To improve loss of appetite
 Pulp in combination with lime juice, honey,
milk, dates, spices used as digestive
 Decoction of dried fruit is taken orally for
fevers
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15. Tamarind fruit pulp
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16. Medicinal uses of tamarind
 It is known to restore sensation in paralysis
 The use of pulp in dysentery treatment and
as a food in food scarce periods
 It is used as gargle in sore throats dressing
of wounds (Chaturvedi 1985)
 Powdered seeds – paste used in boils
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17. Medicinal uses of tamarind
 Tamarind used in treatment of following
ailments:
- alleviation of sunstroke
- datura poisoning
- intoxicating effect of alcohol and
“ganja” Cannabis sativa L.
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18. Medicinal uses of tamarind
 In Brazil, fruit pulp and leaf are regarded as
purgative, diaphoretic and emollient
 Pulp is applied to heal inflammations, sore
throat and rheumatism
 In West Indies fruit pulp is taken orally as
laxative
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19. Tamarind leaves
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20. Medicinal uses of tamarind
 Hot water extract of dried fruit is taken
orally as a sudorific, febrifuge infections of
urinary tract, skin and mucosa
 In India, fruit juice mixed with Calotropis
gigantea latex is taken orally to relieve
menstrual pains
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21. Medicinal uses of tamarind
 In Sudan, dried fruit pulp is taken orally as
a purgative, for malaria and for bacterial
infections
 Fruits contain 1-10 seeds which are hard
reddish and shiny
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22. Medicinal uses of tamarind
 Seed powder is used as externally applied
on eye diseases and ulcers
 Boiled pounded seeds are reported to
treat ulcers, bladder stones and powdered
seed husks are used to treat diabetes
(Rama Rao 1975)
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23. Tamarind seeds
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24. Medicinal uses of tamarind
 The seed with Cumin seed and palm sugar
for treatment of Chronic diarrhoea,
dysentry and jaundice
 The leaves mixed with salt and water are
used to treat throat infections, cough, fever,
intestinal worms, urinary & liver troubles
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25. Medicinal uses of tamarind
 In Tanzania decoction of dried leaves is
taken orally to treat malaria (Gessler et. al.
1994)
 A sweetened decoction is used in the
Philippines as a cough remedy
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26. Medicinal uses of tamarind
 Leaf juice is used for treating encephalitis
 Bark is used to recover loss of sensation
due to paralysis
 The bark with water has been used in the
treatment of sore throat
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27. Tamarind bark
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28. Medicinal uses of tamarind
 Bark is used as tonic, lotions or poultices
to relieve sores, ulcers, boils and rashes in
the Philippines and Eastern Sudan (Dalziel
1937)
 An infusion of the roots is believed to have
curative value in chest complaints
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29. Medicinal uses of tamarind
 A poultice of flowers is used in the
treatment of eye diseases, conjunctivitis in
the Philippines (De Padua et. al. 1978)
 Flowers are used as a remedy for jaundice,
bleeding piles, to cure eye diseases and skin
ulcers
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30. Medicinal uses of tamarind
 Tamarind leaves and flowers dried or
boiled are used as poultices for swollen
joints, sprains and boils
 Lotions and extracts made from tamarind
are used in treating conjunctivitis as
antiseptics, as vermifuges
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31. Tamarind flowers
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32. Medicinal uses of tamarind
 Treatments for dysentery, jaundice, eye
sipelas and haemorrhoids
 An infusion of leaves is believed to be an
ingredient in prescription of leprosy
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33. Recipes of tamarind
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34. Tamarind candy
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35. Tamarind rice
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36. Tamarind chutney
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37. Tamarind soup
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38. Tamarind juice
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39. Tamarind jam
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40. Thank you!!