EUCALYTUS GLOBULES

Common name: English Names Eucalyptus, Tasmanian Blue Gum Tree, Sanskrit Name: Tailapatra, Sugandhapatra

Botanical name:   Eucalyptus globulus

Family: Myrtaceae

Introduction: It is a large tree attaining a height of 300 ft. or more, with a clean straight bole under forest conditions, but often tending to branch freely when grown in the open. Leaves on juvenile shoots are opposite, sessile, cordate-ovate and covered with a bluish white bloom. The adult leaves are alternate, lanceolate, 6-12 in. long and 1-2 in. broad. Stems of the seedlings and coppice shoots are quadrangular. Flowers are in cymose panicles. The fruit is a capsule.

Chemical Constituents:

volatile constituents like aromadendrene, γ- cadienene, 1,8- cineole, α-gurjunene, globulol, linalool oxide, eremorphilene, ß-pinene, pipertone, α-,ß-and γ-terpinen-4-ol, and alloaromadendrene. 5 Moreover, borneol, bornylacetate, camphene, caproic acid, citral, eudesmol, fenchone, isoamylalocohal, p-menthane, myrecene, myrtenol, trans-pinocarveol, sabinene, α- terpineol, α-and ß-thujone, thymol, transverbinol, verbinone, asparagine, cysteine, glycine, glutamic acid, norvaline, ornithine, theonine

Pharmacology

It has analgesic, expectorant, decongestant, antiseptic, anti-neuralgic properties and increases blood circulation^.

Medicinal uses:   Tremendous amounts of works on Eucalyptus globulus reported it to possess diverse pharmacological and medicinal properties due to the presence of various phytoconstituents and volatile components. Various properties exhibited by the plant include antiperiodic, antiphlogistic, antiseptic, astringent, deodorant, anthelmintic, diaphoretic, expectorant, inhalant, insect repellant, rubefacient, sedative yet stimulant, suppurative, and vermifuge. In addition, the blue-gum eucalyptus is a folk remedy for abscess, arthritis, asthma, boils, bronchitis, burns, cancer, cold, cough, diabetes, diptheria, dysentery, dyspepsia, fever, inflammation, malaria, miasma, sorethroat, spasms, tuberculosis, tumors, vaginitis, wounds, and worms. The eucalyptus oil has been widely accepted as an antiseptic, the evidence of which has been established in vitro on many germs.