International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)

Volume 6 Issue 3, March-April 2022 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470

Ecology & Physiological Features of

Salvadora Persica (Linn.) in Indian Arid Region
Bharati Pareek

Assistant Professor, Department of Botany, LBS PG College, Tilak Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

ABSTRACT How to cite this paper: Bharati Pareek

S. persica is a multipurpose tree with immense ethno-ecological "Ecology & Physiological Features of
importance and is commonly used for varied medicinal purposes. It is Salvadora Persica
one of the identified plants from among the seventeen plants families (Linn.) in Indian
that are cited in the Holy Quran. The plant is used as a source of Arid Region"
food, fodder, lipids, gum and resins. In addition, it is also valued for Published in
rearing honey bees. Its roots are regularly used as tooth brush International Journal
throughout the country. Besides these the plant is also grown to of Trend in
provide shelter-belts and windbreakes for agriculture crops. It is Scientific Research IJTSRD49820
distributed throughout the arid and semi-arid ecosystem of world and and Development
helps in reclamation of sand dune habitats and saline soils in arid (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-6 |
Issue-3, April 2022, pp.1680-1684,
ecosystems. However, its population suffers from serious
URL:
environmental problems such as deforestation, soil degradation, loss www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd49820.pdf
of biodiversity and unsustainable livelihoods. S. persica has high
medicinal, economic and ecological values in arid and semiarid Copyright © 2022 by author (s) and
ecosystem. Nevertheless, its conservation status is highly threatened International Journal
and detailed ecological study of S. persica is suggested to conserve of Trend in
its remaining population. Miswak (Salvadora Persica) is an Scientific Research
important shrub/small tree of the Indian sub-continent. Due to its and Development Journal. This is an
multipurpose use it has been exploited ruthlessly by all the sections Open Access article distributed under
of the society since decades which has endangered its status. Because the terms of the Creative Commons
of its great medicinal properties it has been in heavy demand in the Attribution License (CC BY 4.0)
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)
Indian Herbal Drug Industry. Its branches are commonly used as
tooth brush in villages and rural area of the country. Apart from its
medicinal benefits it can also be utilized for carbon storage and
sequestration for long durations thus, helps in our fight against
Global Warming and Climate Change. As the shrub/tree has become
endangered all steps need to be taken to conserve this important
species otherwise a time would come when we would be devoid of its
multiple benefits. Plant Tissue Culture is an excellent technique for
large scale propagation of this tree species and at present there are
various protocols available in public domain for its mass
multiplication but none of the protocols has been utilized to restore
the plant status till date. Serious efforts by Government (Central and
State) are required for mass multiplication of the species on one hand
and conservation of its germplasm on the other.
KEYWORDS: Ecological, physiological, Salvadora Persica, Indian
Arid Region, large scale propagation
INTRODUCTION
Salvadora persica or the toothbrush tree is a small mustard tree. Salvadora persica is a small tree or
evergreen tree native to Indian arid region, the Middle shrub with a crooked trunk, typically 6–7 metres (20–
East and Africa. Its sticks are traditionally used as a 23 ft) in height. Its Bark is scabrous and cracked,
natural toothbrush called miswak and are mentioned whitish with pendulous extremities. The root bark of
by the World Health Organization for oral hygiene the tree is similar in colour to sand, and the inner
use. Other names include arak, jhak, pīlu, and surfaces are an even lighter shade of brown. It has a

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
pleasant fragrance, of cress or mustard, as well as a The miswak (miswaak, siwak, sewak, Arabic: ‫اك‬
warm and pungent taste. The leaves break with a fine or ‫اك‬ ) is a teeth cleaning twig made from the
crisp crackle when trodden on. The tree produces Salvadora persica tree (known as arāk, ‫أراك‬, in
small red edible fruits, juicy but pungent, in Arabic). It is reputed to have been used over 7,000
clusters.[1,2] years ago.The miswak's properties have been
described thus: "Apart from their antibacterial activity
which may help control the formation and activity of
dental plaque, they can be used effectively as a
natural toothbrush for teeth cleaning. Such sticks are
effective, inexpensive, common, available, and
contain many medical properties". It also features
prominently in Islamic hygienical jurisprudence.[5,6]

It has high tolerance for salty soils and can tolerate as

little as 200 millimetres (7.9 in) or less of mean
annual rainfall, but it prefers ready access to
groundwater. Salvadora persica stick, known as Traditional miswak sticks. Softened bristles on either
miswak, is popular for teeth cleaning throughout the end can be used to clean the teeth.
Arabian Peninsula, Iranian Plateau, as well as the
Discussion
wider Muslim world. The fresh leaves can be eaten as
Salvadora persica is a large, well-branched evergreen
part of a salad and are used in traditional medicine.
shrub or small tree having soft whitish yellow wood,
The flowers are small and fragrant and are used as a
bark is of old stems rugose, branches are numerous,
stimulant and are mildly purgative. The berries are
drooping, glabrous, terete, finely striate, shining, and
small and barely noticeable; they are eaten both fresh
almost white. Leaves are somewhat fleshy, glaucous,
and dried. The wood of the Salvadora persica can be
3.8–6.3 by 2–3.2 cm in size, elliptic lanceolate or
used for charcoal and firewood. In Namibia, the
ovate, obtuse, and often mucronate at the apex, the
mustard bush is used as drought-resistant fodder for
base is usually acute, less commonly rounded, main
cattle. The seeds can be used to extract a detergent
nerves are in 5–6 pairs, and the petioles 1.3–2.2 cm
oil. As of 2009, Botanic Gardens Conservation
long and glabrous. The flowers are greenish yellow in
International has a total of eight Salvadora persica
color, in axillary and terminal compound lax panicles
plants in conservation.[3,4]
5–12.5 cm long, numerous in the upper axils, pedicels
1.5–3 mm long, bracts beneath the pedicels, ovate and
very caducous. Calyx is 1.25 mm long, glabrous, cleft
half-way down, lobes rounded. Corolla is very thin, 3
mm long, deeply cleft, persistent, lobes are 2.5 mm
long, oblong, obtuse, and much reflexed. Stamens are
shorter than corolla, but exserted, owing to the corolla
lobes being reflexed. Drupe is 3 mm in diameter,
globose, smooth and becomes red when ripe.[7,8]

Shrub with berries

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compound, with the molecular formula C35H60O6, C
= 72.9%, H = 14%, m.p. 265-68ºC m/z [α]D 29 -36.2
gave positive test for saponin and on hydrolysis
yielded β-sitosterol and a sugar glucose thereby
identified it as β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-
glucopyransoside. Essential oil contained α- and β-
thujones, camphor, cineole, β-cymene, limonene, β-
myrcene, borneol, linalool, and bornyl acetate and
nonvolatile fraction contained humulene,
caryophyllene, β-santatol, and farnesol.[11]
Results
Salvadora persica tree Salvadora persica possessed significant protective
action against ethanol and stress-induced ulcers. This
The leaves are eaten as a vegetable in the eastern study was designed to confirm the antiulcer activity
tropical Africa and are used in the preparation of a of Salvadora persica decoction using optical
sauce, and tender shoots and leaves are eaten as salad. microscopy. The elements of gastric mucosa tended
Leaves are bitter in taste, corrective, deobstruent, to be reestablished normally in tested rats. The effect
astringent to the bowels, tonic to the liver, diuretic, of Salvadora persica as an anticonvulsant was
analgesic, anthelmintic, useful in ozoena and other identified by using stem extracts. The stem extracts
nose troubles, piles, scabies, leukoderma, lessening show the potentiation of sodium pentobarbital activity
inflammation, and strengthening the teeth. Leaves are and on generalized tonic-clonic seizure produced by
pungent and are considered in Punjab as an antidote pentylentertazol (PTZ) on the rat is reported. The
to poison of all sorts and in south of Bombay as an extracts of Salvadora persica Linn. extended sleeping-
external application in rheumatism. The juice of the time and decreased induction-time induced by sodium
leaves is also used in scurvy. Fruits are sweet and pentobarbital, in addition it showed protection against
edible. A fermented drink is reported to be made from PTZ-induced convulsion by increasing the latency
the fruits. Fruits possess deobstruent, carminative, period and diminishing the death rate. Miswak extract
diuretic, lithontriptic, and stomachic properties and did not have much effect on female mouse fertility,
are used in biliousness and rheumatism. In Sind, it is although it caused a significant decrease in the
believed that fruits have a good effect on snake relative weights of the ovary and an increase in the
bite.[9,10] uterine weights. Exposure of male mice to miswak
Root bark is used as a vesicant and is employed as an resulted in a 72% reduction in pregnancies in
ingredient of snuff. A paste of the roots is applied as a untreated females impregnated by test males. The
substitute for mustard plaster and their decoction is relative weights of the testes and preputial glands
used against gonorrhea and vesical catarrh. A were significantly increased and that of the seminal
decoction of the bark is used as a tonic in amenorrhea vesicles was significantly decreased in test males. The
and the dose of the decoction is half a teacupful twice results indicate that miswak has adverse effects on
daily and as a stimulant in low fevers and as an male and female reproduction systems and
emmenagogue. fertility.[12,13]
On phytochemical investigations, its stem yielded
octacosanol, 1-triacantanol, β-sitosterol, and β-
sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside. On thin layer
chromatography examination, it was found to be a
mixture of 2 compounds, which were separated by
column chromatography. Compound A had a melting
point (m.p.) -136-7ºC, m/z = 414 (mass) and
molecular formula C29H50O (C = 83.75%, H =
12.25%). It gave positive Salkowski, Liebermann,
Burchard reaction, Noller reaction, Brieskron,
Tschagajew, and yellow color with tetranitro
methane.Peaks in the infrared spectrum at Vmax KBr
3500, 1450, 1470, and 1145 cm−1 showed its identity
as compound β-sitosterol in white needle form .
Compound B was found to be the white crystalline

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
Salvadora persica contain substances that possess monthly irrigation is suitable for growth and height of
plaque inhibiting and antibacterial properties against the plant.
several types of cariogenic bacteria, which are Weed Control: Manual hand weeding is a better
frequently found in the oral cavity. The growth and
option for weed control in S. Persica plantations.
acid production of these bacteria is thus inhibited.A
comparison of alcohol and aqueous extract of miswak Disease and Pest Control: No serious insects, pests
was also made. It was found that alcoholic extract is and nematodes were observed in this crop.
more effective than aqueous extract for antibacterial Crop Maturity and Harvesting: Seeded fruits
activity. In another study, miswak pieces were require 4-5 months for maturity, i.e. from December
standardized by size and weight and tested against to April-May. The whole plant is used medicinally,
Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, but roots are used for preparation of Meswak
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, toothpaste. The plant may be uprooted after 2 years of
Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Haemophilus growth at any time of the year for root production.
influenzae. Results found that the strong antibacterial The roots are separated dried.[17,18]
effects against all bacteria tested is due to the
presence of a volatile active antibacterial compounds Post-harvest Management: Uprooted whole plants
.[14] are separated into leaf, stem and roots with the help of
stainless knife/scalpels. Stem branches and roots are
used freshly. If these are not used freshly, then these
should be stored in well ventilated shady places, so
that moisture loss takes place continuously.
Chemical Constituents: Root contains elemental y-
monoclinic sulphur, benzyl glucosimolate, a
methoxylbenzyl derivative of urea named
salvadourea, m-anisic acid and sitosterol. Root bark
Conclusion and stem bark contain trimethylamine. Seed oil is rich
Raising Propagules: Seeds are soaked for 24 hours in myristic, lauric and palmitic acids.[19,20]
in fruit pulp solution (Salvadora persica). They gave Yield : Plantation of crop at 5X5 meter spacing in
maximum germination and shoot growth. Two seeds one hectare area yielded 200 kg roots after two
are sown per polybag at 1.0-2.0 cm depth during June years.[21]
under nursery conditions. Thus 15 gm seeds are
required for planting one hectare area at a spacing of References
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