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Phytochemistry:
The flowers contain fatty acids and gallic acid; apigenin-7-O-beta-D-glucoside, cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside, kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucoside, pelargonidin-3,5-diglucoside, quercetin andits 3-O-beta-D-glucoside andsitosterol.
The bark yields alkanes, esters and primary alcohols. It gave n-octacosanol, tannin, catechin, (+)-catechol, (−)-epicatechin, (−)-epicatechol, leucocyanidin, leucopelargonidin, procyanidin derivatives, methyl-and ethylcholesterol derivatives. It also contains oleic, linoleic, linolenic, stearic and palmiticacid.
Quercetin and its 3-O-rhamnoside, kaempferol-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnoside, amyrin, ceryl alcohol and beta-sitosterol have been isolated from leaves and stems.
Pharmacological Actions:
It is astringent, antileucorrhoeic, antibilious, uterine sedative and uterine tonic.
It has stimulating effect on endometrium and the ovarian tissue.
Medicinal Use:
It is useful in uterine affections, menorrhagia especially due to uterine fibroids, meno-metrorrhagia, leucorrhoea and infertility.
It is uterine tonic (imparts healthy tone to uterus), used for suppressed menses, leucorrhoea, menstrual pain, menorrhagia, complaints of menopause.
The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India recommends the bark in metrohhagia, menorrhagia, chronic lymphadenitis and inflammations.
Clinical / experimental study:
Ashoka found exerting stimulant effect on endometrium and ovaries due to its tannins, catechols and flavonoid principles and regulates excessive bleeding, the effect to be regulating endogenous secretions possibly due to regularizing the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Ovarian interactions.
Ashoka Have antibacterial, antioestrogenic, and antifungal (have significant inhibitory effect against sh. Boydis, s. viballerup, sh.dysenteriae, E.coli, vibrio cholera, pseudomonas acruginosa, also inhibit fungus like Nunnizia fulva –ve and +ve, trichophyton equinum and c. crasitunicatum)
Herbs & Ayurveda 