Patang Lakdi Powder - Patranga - Caesalpinia Sappan - Sappan Wood

Caesalpinia sappan (also known as Caesalpinia minutiflora and Binacaea sappan and Patranga) is a plant in the Fabaceae family (Leguminosae). In English, it is also known as Sappan Wood, Indian Redwood, and Brazil Wood. This tree is indigenous to Indo-Malaya. Sappanwood is a versatile tree. The heartwood produces a red dye that is utilised for medicinal, cosmetic, and natural colouring applications. The wood is termite resistant and is used to make cabinets, violin bows, and walking sticks. 

Caesalpinia sappan has medicinal characteristics, and the heartwood is utilised for therapeutic purposes in Ayurveda. The wood decoction is regarded a strong emmenagogue, astringent, and beneficial in diarrhoea and dysentery. The wood decoction is used to induce menstruation. The heartwood is used to treat bruises and thrombosis (blood clots within the vessel). 

Traditionally, a decoction of the heartwood is used to increase menstruation flow and as a tonic for women to help them recover quickly after childbirth. It is effective in cases of excessive bleeding and short intervals. Heartwood is used in the treatment of dysmenorrhea and leucorrhoea, together with other substances. It is also effective in certain types of skin disorders and pulmonary bleeding. 

Patang is a shrub or small thorny tree that grows to a height of 6 to 9 m and has noticeable spines on the stem and leaf rachis. On branches, paired, recurved stipular prickles can be detected. It is typically grown as a hedge plant.

The bark is moderately hard, greyish-brown in colour, with noticeable ridges and sharp prickles around 2.5 cm thick, dark brown on one surface, creamish-white on the other, and yellowish-orange in between; the odour and taste are not distinctive. 

Caesalpinia sappan contains numerous therapeutic qualities. Understanding these qualities will allow us to make better use of this herb. These also show the circumstances under which we should avoid it. 

• Antibacterial: Bacterial inhibitor. 
• Anti-cancerous:Cancer prevention.
• Antidiarrheal: It relieves diarrhoea.
• Anti–inflammatory: Reducing inflammation by influencing bodily processes
• Antioxidant: Reduce the oxidative activity of free radicals and other chemicals.
• Antipyretic/antifebrile/febrifuge: Fever-fighting properties.