Balanites aegyptiaca Hingan Hingol | Dava Bazaar in India

Plant Profile

Botany

Binomial nomenclature

Balanites aegyptiaca

Scientific Name and Description

Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile

Herb Family

Zygophyllaceae

Plant type

Shrub

Plant Synonyms

Ximenia aegyptiaca
Balanites roxburghii PLANCH.

Plant Names - Common - Regional - Vernacular

Marathi	Hingan, hingalbet, hingam, hingan, hingan bet, hingane, hingu
Hindi	Mahura, baam, hingan, hingan-ka- per, hingan-ka-per, hingen, hingol, hingora, hingorni, hingot, hingota, hingotia, hingotio, hingoto, hingu, hingudi, ingna, ingua
Telugu	Ugure,gaara, gara, gara-chettu, gari, ingalu mullu, ingudi, ringri
Common Names	desert date or soapberry tree
Kannada	hingaata, hingalat, hingaloru, hingoloro, ingala, ingalaarada mara, ingalada mara, ingalara, ingalarade, ingalare, ingaleeka, ingalika, ingalike, ingalukke, inglara, ingudi, ingulada mara, ingulaka, meenu mara
Malayalam	namunta, nanchunta, nancunta, nunjoonda
Sanskrit	akantaka, angaravrksa, angarvriksha, angulidala, anilantaka, bhallakiviriksha, daruparnaphala, dirghakanta, gaurtvaka, gouritvae, hinguputra, inguda, ingudam, ingudi, ingudi-vraksha, ingudi-vrikshaka, ingudivrikshaha, ingul, inguni, jalajantu, kantaka, krisharaka, kroshtuphala, munipadapa, putigandha, putranjiva, putripatra, shulari, tailabija, tailaphala, tanupatra, tapasadruma, tapasamudrama, tapasataru, tapasavrksa, tiktaka, tiktarnajja, vinashaka
Tamil	nanchundan, nancuntan, nancuntan pattai, nanjunda, nanjundan, toruvattu
Tibetan	i ngu da
Urdu	hingot
common name	Egyptian balsam

Plants Medicinal Value

Medicinal Systems

Ayurved

Unani

Siddha

Tibetan

Folk

Sowa Rigpa

Pharmacological profile

Phytochemicals

Saponins

Flavonoids

Herb usable parts

Roots

Leaves

Fruits

Seeds

Ethanomedical Uses

Ethnopharmacology use

The unripe fruits, bark, leaves and seeds possess anthelmintic and purgative properties.
The seed kernel oil is effective in skin diseases, burns, cuts and wounds and in the treatment of leprosy.
Seed endosperm cures dry cough, stomachache and cataract.
Fruit pulp is useful in skin diseases, leucoderma and cough.
Dry powder of the mature fruit is used to prevent pregnancy.
Root paste applied externally cures guinea worm.
Roots and fruits have 'Diosgenin' widely used for production of steroid and oral contraceptives.

Source: Medicinal Plants in the Indian Arid Zone, March 2005, Director Central Arid Zone Research Institute Jodhpur 342 003

Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile Shrub to tree Leaves, fruit, seed, root Malaria; asthma; healthy foetus; edible Foetus (pregnant women); General Jagtap et al. 2009, Sharma et al. 2013