Celastrus Seed
FAMILY: Celastraceae
GENUS: Celastrus
SPECIES: Paniculatus
COMMON NAMES: Adilearicham, Bavangi, Black ipecac, Black oil plant, Black oil tree, Celastrus dependens, Climbing staff plant, Climbing staff tree, Dhimarbel, Intellect tree, Jothismadhu seed oil, Jyotismati, Kaluganne, Kanagiliballi, Kangodi, Karigonne, Maiya-kodi, Mal kangni, Malaria teega, Malkamni, Maner Tiga, Palleru, Peng, Pigavi, Polulavam, Oriental bittersweet, Sphutabandhani, Svarnalota, Teegapalleru, Valuluvai, Velo.
Celastrus paniculatus is a deciduous climbing shrub that can grow to a very large size. The base stem of this shrub will grow up to 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter and produce many woody branches that will cling to surrounding flora for support. The inner bark is light and cork like, with yellow sapwood. The leaves are oval shape and grow on singular stems, they range from light to dark green, the flowers are tiny, whitish green to yellow green and grow on the top of the main stalk. Celastrus is prized by native peoples throughout India for its seeds; the seeds grow in round pods that gradually change from a light yellow to a deep red color as they mature. The seeds are small, oval shaped and grow six per seedpod, they are also known to cause yellow-orange stains on anything their oils come into contact with.
Celastrus paniculatus is a hardy shrub that grows in a wide variety of climates and environments. It is native to the Indian continent, but is known to grow wildly in Australia, China, Taiwan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam as well as many of the Pacific islands. The Celastrus family of shrubs has also been transplanted and grows on every continent except Antarctica. This hardy bush has been seen growing above an elevation of 5900 feet (1800 meters), along the Himalayan mountainside and in other high altitude environments.
Ayurveda healers have used Celastrus seeds and the oil contained within them for centuries. Modern research has shown that the seeds yield as much as 52% oil by weight. It is in the nutrient rich oil that the active compounds are found, compounds such as celastrine, paniculatin among other active alkaloids. These active compounds are used as an antimalarial agent, and are currently used in modern medicines like Pristimerin.
TRADITIONAL USE: For thousands of years, Ayurveda medicine men have used the Celastrus seeds for their potent medicinal properties. It was used for many different ailments, but most notably it was administered as a powerful brain tonic, appetite stimulant, and emetic. According to Greco-Arabic Yunani medicine, the oil of the Celastrus seed was used to treat physical weakness, mental confusion, alleviate asthma symptoms, reduce headaches, cure joint pain and arthritis; and they also created a potent balm that the men believed worked as a sexual stimulant, much like modern phosphodiesterase inhibitors (i.e. sindenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), ect.). The medicine men made a tonic of the seed oil, they used this tonic to mitigate mental fatigue, memory loss, as well as to boost memory recall, retention, and other thought processes. Traditional healers from the Chhattisgarh, Bastar region of India are known to prescribe Celastrus seeds to their patients, they recommend that anyone suffering from forgetfulness begin adding one seed to their diet daily, and then gradually increase their dosage up to 100 seeds per day. It is this ability to improve mental function, memory recall and retention that has made this one of the choice herbal supplements for those working to improve dream recall, and to achieve lucid dreams.
TRADITIONAL PREPARATION: Although there are many different preparations, the most prevalent and common methods all use the seeds to extract their essential oils. An older and more traditional extraction method involves taking the seeds and placing them in a pot of boiling water or goat's milk, over a period of several hours the essential oils would rise to the surface, the seeds were strained out and the remaining mixture was allowed to settle, finally, the oil was then carefully siphoned out and into another container. A more modern method of extraction involves placing a large quantity of seeds into a screw press, and under the force of the press, the seed's oil squeezed out and collected. Modern research into the effects ofCelastrus paniculatus has shown that the seeds can be just as effective with little to no prior preparation.
Rebecca comments: Tinctures/liquid extracts are beginning to be prepared for commercial use. Wondrous Roots, Inc. is one of a just a handful of companies at present (October, 2010 at this writing) producing and selling a liquid extract (tincture) delivery of Celastrus paniculata.
From celastrusshop.com: "In our personal experience, and by far, we have found that the liquid extracts are the most potent, partially because liquids have fast absorption rates, and absorb directly into the bloodstream. Next, we like the whole seeds, and the last on the list is capsules or memory pills which, like any other pill, have to make their way through your stomach before they are absorbed into the human body."
MEDICINAL USES: Recent medical research has proven the efficacy of the oil obtained from the seeds; in small mammal studies, the oil produced lower blood pressure, increased alertness, and improved problem solving skills, possibly due to its powerful antioxidant action in the blood. The oil from the Celastrus seed has long been valued in India for its beneficial effects on memory and intellect. They have effectively used the oil to treat beri-beri as well as malaria. To this day, many Indian college students regularly consume half a teaspoon or less of the oil as part of their daily diet; at this dosage, the oil acts as a brain stimulant to improve their memory, recall and to give them a slight edge during important exams. There are currently several herbal supplements on the market that utilize Celastrus oil in their formula. Dietary supplements like these usually combine Celastrus seed with other effective herbal supplements like Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) and Gingko biloba.
There is ongoing research into the possibility that anticancer drugs like pristimerin, which is derived from the seeds of the Celastrus plant, may be an effect means of treating certain types of cancers, or to inhibit the growth of specific types of cancer cells. Research conducted by H. Yang et.al. has shown pristimerin to be quite active against nine cancer cell lines. Although much more research still needs to be done, the potential health benefits of Celastrus seed oil looks very promising.
TRADITIONAL EFFECTS: Traditional Ayurveda healers have used Celastrus paniculatus oil for centuries, healers extracted the oil and prescribed it to their patients suffering from mental fatigue, stress, and minor joint pains. Celastrus seeds and the oil they produce have been clinically proven to increase mental acuity, improve memory, retention and recall. Subjects using the oil were able to learn new information more quickly and were able to accurately recall that information over longer periods of time. People have long used Celastrus seeds as a supplement to improve dream recall and to help induce lucid dreams, consuming small quantities of the oil as part of a healthy diet.
PURCHASE CELASTRUS SEED EXTRACT HERE
REFERENCES
Hanumanthachar, J; Milind, P. (2006). Brahmi rasayana Improves Learning and Memory in Mice. Alternative Medicine. 79-85.
Nalini, K; Karanth, K.S; Rao, A; Aroor, A.R. (1995). Effects of Celastrus paniculatus on passive avoidance performance and biogenic amine turnover in albino rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 101-8.
Russo, A; Izzo, A.A; Cardile, V; Borrelli, F; Vanella, A. (2001). Indian medicinal plants as antiradicals and DNA cleavage protectors. Phytomedicine. 125-32.
This information from www.entheology.org
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.