Millettia peguensis

HABIT: Millettia peguensis is a small, deciduous tree. Leaves are imparipinnate, leaflets 5-7, ovate-elliptic, obtuse, acuminate, glabrous. Flowers are in 5-20cm long racemes, on young branchlets. Calyx are 1-2mm glabrous. Corolla are purpish blue, standard glabrous, auriculate. Fruits are pods, oblong, glabrous with sutures.​

CONSERVATION STATUS: Evaluated as 'Data Deficient' by IUCN.

MEDICINAL USES: Millettia genus exhibit an extensive variety of biological activities, such as antibacterial, antiviral, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiplasmodial, anti-allergy, anti-tumour, cognitive activity and cytotoxicity. Millettia peguensis an important medicinal tree species suggests that the determination of antimicrobial activity. In, the present study the Petroleum ether leaves extract of Millettia peguensis clearly showed strong antimicrobial activity against selected pathogens.

(Packiyalakshmi, D., Athilakshmi, P., Gayathri, S., Karthiga, P., Thiri Bhuvaneswari, R., & Manikandan, G. (2017). Antimicrobial potential of different solvents leaf extract of Millettia peguensis against selected pathogens. The Pharma Innovation Journal, 6(10), 119-124.)

(Jena, R., Rath, D., Rout, S. S., & Kar, D. M. (2020). A review on genus Millettia: Traditional uses, phytochemicals and pharmacological activities. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 28(12), 1686-1703.)

ETHNOBOTANICAL USES: A few species of Millettia has evidence of values as a drug in the indigenous system of medicine for a number of ailments. In different countries of Asia, Africa and Australia such as India, Pakistan, Burma, China, Thailand, France, Kenya, etc in which Millettia species are also grown naturally and used as ethnomedicine by local people. . A different community of Cameroon has used this Millettia species for the treatment of intestinal parasites in case of children as a potent inhibitor. . In ancient times, people used spices and herbs in their food as flavoring agents. These can also be used locally as food preservatives and in folk medicine. The Bhilla tribe in Maharashtra, India also used its bark juice for the wound by applying it once a day for a time period of 4–5 days.

(Jena, R., Rath, D., Rout, S. S., & Kar, D. M. (2020). A review on genus Millettia: Traditional uses, phytochemicals and pharmacological activities. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 28(12), 1686-1703.)