The Latin name of Tumbru or Toothache tree is Zanthoxylum alatum. As the common name of the tree suggests it is used traditionally to get relief from tooth ache. It has numbing effect on teeth, and gums. In Ayurveda, it is used for the skin diseases, loss of smell, heaviness, and pain in head, chronic coryza, and arthritis.
In Unani the fruits, seeds, and bark are used as a carminative, stomachic, and anthelmintic.
General Information
Tumburu is a medicinal plant native to North America. It is a small thorny tree or shrub, up to 6 m high, with dense foliage, and mainly found in the valleys of the Himalayas at an altitude of 1000 to 2100 m, in Khasi hills at 600 to 1800 m, and in the Ghats in peninsular India. Its branches have nearly straight prickles up to 1.2 cm long.
Leaves are distinctively trifoliate with the leaf-stalk winged. Leaflets are stalk less, 2.0-7.5 × 1.0-1.7 cm, ellipticto ovate-lace like, entire to slightly toothed, sharp tipped, base sometimes oblique.
Minute yellow flowers arise in leaf axils. Flowers have 6-8 acute sepals. Petals are absent. Male flowers have 6-8 stamens, and large anthers because of which the flowers look yellow. Female flowers have 1-3 celled ovary, 3 mm in diameter, pale red, splitting into two when ripe.
The fruits of the tree are reddish-brown, sub-globose, and contains a single seed in follicle. Seeds are globose, glabrou, and shiny black. They are about up to 0.5 cm long, and about 0.3 cm wide. The aromatic seeds taste pungent.
Scientific Classification
The botanical name of Tumburu / Toothache Tree is Zanthoxylum alatum. It belongs to plant family Rutaceae. Below is given taxonomical classification of the plant.
- Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
- Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
- Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
- Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
- Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
- Subclass: Rosidae
- Order: Sapindales
- Family: Rutaceae – Rue family
- Genus: Zanthoxylum L. – pricklyash
- Species: Zanthoxylum alatum
Synonyms
- Zanthoxylum armatum DC.
- Zanthoxylum planispinum Siebold & Zucc
Part(s) used for medicinal purpose: fruit, bark, and stem
Plant type: Shrub, aromatic, prickly, dioecious
Distribution: North East India, Kashmir to Bhutan. Also found in most of China, Taiwan, Nepal,
Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Japan at altitudes of 1,300-1,500 m.
Native to: North America
Flowering period: from March to April
Other uses: Seeds used as spice
Common names /Synonyms
- Latin name: Zanthoxylum alatum
- Sanskrit: Tumburu, Tejovati (Bark), Tejovali, Tejohva, Tejbatee
- Assamese: Tejovati
- Bengali: Tejovati, Nepali Dhania, Gaira
- English: Tooth ache tree, Nepal Pepper
- Gujrati: Tejbal
- Garhwal: Tezbal, Tezmal;
- Hindi: Tejbal, Nepali Dhaniya, Timura, Darmar
- Kannada: Tejapatri, Tumburu, Tejovanti
- Malayalam: Thumboonal, Thumbooni
- Marathi: Tejbal, Tejobalee
- Oriya: Tejbal
- Punjabi: Tirmira, Tundopoda
- Tamil: Thejyovathi
- Telugu: Tumburl
- Urdu: Kabab-e-Khanda (Miswak)
- Unani: Faaghir, Kabaab-e-Khandaan
- Siddha: Tejyovathi
- Arabic: Fagrieh
- Nepal: Prumo, Prumu, Tebun, Tejbal, Tejphal, Timur, Yerma
- Philippines: Chi-it, Sibit-paklauit
- Thailand: Mak kak
Constituents of Zanthoxylum alatum
The root contains magnoflorine, xanthoplanine, skimmianine, dictamine, and gamma-fagarine.
Seeds contain flavonoids tambulin, and tambulol.
The essential oil from dried fruits contains linalool (64%), linalyl acetate, citral, geraniol methyl cinnamate, limonene, and sabinene.
Dried bark, and branches contain lignans—sesamin, fargesin, eudesmin, a lactone pulviatide, dictamine, 8-hydroxydictamine, and gamma-fagarine, magnoflorine, and xanthoplanine.
Leaves contain rnethyl-n-nonylketone, linalyl acetate, sesquiterpenehydrocarbons, and tricosane.
Ayurvedic Properties, and Action
Tumbru (Nepali Dhaniya) seeds are bitter, and pungent in taste (Ras), and dry, sharp, and light in action (Guna). Its taste after digestion (Vipak) is Katu or Pungent. It aggravates pitta, and alleviates aggravated Vata / Vayu, and Kapha.
It cures krimi (parasitic infection), low appetite, and durgandhya (foul smell coming out of the body). It mainly acts on excretory, circulatory, digestive, and respiratory system.
Rasa (taste on the tongue): Katu (Pungent), Tikta (Bitter)
Guna (Pharmacological Action): Laghu (Light), Tikshna (Sharp), Ruksha (Dry)
Virya (Action): Ushna (Heating)
Vipaka (transformed state after digestion): Katu (Pungent)
Action
Dipan (promote appetite but do not aid in digesting undigested food)
Krimighna (destroys worms)
Kapha–Vata har (Remover of the Humor of Kapha-Vata)
Pachan (assist in digesting undigested food, but do not increase the appetite)
Ruchikarak (improve taste)
Important Ayurvedic Formulations
- Hingvadi Taila
- Madusnhi rasayan
- Dantmanjan
Important Medicinal Properties
Tumburu is rich in medicinal properties. The understanding of these properties will help us to better utilize this herb. Below is given medicinal properties along with the meaning.
- Astringent, Antibacterial, and Antiseptic
- Antiplaque: Acting to prevent or remove plaque
- Carminative: Preventing the formation or causing the expulsion of flatulence.
- Diaphoretic: promote sweating.
- Hypoglycemic: Reducing the level of the sugar glucose in the blood.
- Stomachic: stimulates gastric activity.
- Tonic: Restore or improve health or well-being.
- Vermifuge: destroys or expels parasitic worms (anthelmintic)
Medicinal uses of Tumburu / Toothache tree
Tumburu is a medicinal tree. Its leaves, roots, and seeds are used for medicinal purpose. In Ayurveda, the seeds are used in the treatment of digestive impairment, piles, heart diseases, hiccups, cough, throat disorders, asthma, and dental diseases.
Stem bark is used in cough, asthma, difficult breathing, and rheumatism.
1. Asthma, difficult breathing
Chewing few seeds of the tree are useful.
2. Arthritis, joint swelling, pain in joints
Prepare a decoction, by boiling 5 grams of fresh leaves or 10 grams of dried leaves in one glass water till water reduces to one fourth. Filter this, and drink once-twice a day.
3. Boils
The fine faste of roots is applied externally.
4. Cough
Prepare decoction of seeds, and drink once-twice a day.
5. Cholera (Vishuchika in Ayurveda)
The decoction of bark is used traditionally to treat cholera.
6. Ear ache
Tumburu + Sonth + Hing are cooked in mustard oil to prepare medicated oil. This is used an ear drop.
7. Gum bleeding
Bark powder mixed with honey, massaged on gums give relief in gum bleeding.
8. Mouth-freshener
The fruits of the plant are chewed.
9. Skin diseases, Eczema, vitiation of blood
Prepare a decoction, by boiling 5 grams of fresh leaves or 10 grams of dried leaves in one glass water till water reduces to one fourth. Filter this, and drink once-twice a day.
10. Swelling
The poultice of warm leaves is applied topically.
11. Stomatitis
Prepare decoction, and use as gargle.
12. Roundworms
The decoction of seeds or intake of seeds in any form helps to expel roundworms.
13. Toothache
Crush the seeds, and put under aching tree.
The bark of the tree is chewed to get relief from tooth ache.
14. Tooth powder
Mix powder of (in equal amount) Tumbru seeds + Amal + Haritaki + Vibhitaki + Haldi + Sendha Namak to make a Tooth powder.
15. Teeth cleaning
Use twig of the tree as Datun.
16. Ulcers, drying up, and healing old wounds
The powdered bark is applied topically.
The Dosage of Zanthoxylum alatum
- The seeds can be consumed in a dose of 2-4 grams.
- 5-16 years: ½ adult usage levels
- 1-5 years: ¼ adult usage levels
- Stem bark 10-20 grams for the preparation of decoction.
Caution, Side effects, Warning
- It is hot in potency.
- Hot potency medicines should not be used in pregnancy.
- Fruits of the plant are emmenagogues (emmenagogs), and stimulate blood flow in the pelvic area, and uterus. It can stimulate menstruation.
- It is rough, hot, and irritant.
- It may cause a burning sensation in abdomen.
- It increases sweating.