Description
Embelia ribes is a large scandent shrub, distributed throughout India Constituents are Embelic acid, a volatile oil and fixed oil, colouring matter, tannin, a resinoid body and an alkaloid called Christembine. A large semi climber shrub with long drooping branches. Leaves simple, alternate, elliptic or lanceolate, acuminate, entire, upper surface shiny; flowers greenish white seen in terminal or axillary lax panicled racemes; fruits grayish berries, become dark brown when ripe, containing single, globose seed.
The dried fruits are being used for the preparation of medicine. Dried seeds are useful as powder to expel intestinal worms especially tapeworms. For a child, powder mixed with honey or sugar is given on empty stomach to expel tape worms. The plant is widely used as anti-helminthic, anti-carminative, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-diuretic and anti-astringent as reported in various literatures. Plant pacifies vitiated kapha, vata, intestinal worms, skin diseases, nervine weakness, flatulence, colic, constipation, cough, asthma, bronchitis, migraine, fever and general weakness.
