Murraya koenigii

Taxanomy

Phlyum : Magnoliophyta
Class    : Magnoliospida
Order   : Sapindales
Family  : Rutaceae
Genus  : Murraya
Species: Murraya koenigii

                                                



Common Name

Curry Leaf Tree, Daun Kari, Indian Curry Tree, Curry Brush, Karapincha, Karwa Pale, Kerupulai, Garupillai

Characteristics
M. koenigii belongs to the Rutaceae family and is characterized as a deciduous tree with a compact shady crown, a short trunk, and thin smooth grey or brown bark. It can grow up to 4-6 meters in height and has a diameter ranging from 15 to 40 cm.

                                                  


Morphology

Stem
Stems are dark green to brown, with numerous dots.

Leaves
The leaves of M. koenigii are compound and odd-pinnate, measuring about 30 cm in length. They consist of 11-21 shiny, dark green, lance-shaped leaflets that are around 4.9 cm long and 1.8 cm wide. The apex of each leaflet is emarginate and the base is oblique, with a slightly toothed margin. The leaflets attach to the rachis through a 0.5 cm-long, reddish petiole in alternate to sub-opposite arrangement, giving the appearance of single leaflets alternating to almost paired.

Flower
M. koenigii's flowers are both white and bisexual, possessing a funnel shape and a sweet fragrance. They are complete, ebracteate, and exhibit regular, actinomorphic, and pentamerous symmetry. These stalked flowers have an average diameter of 1-1.12 cm when fully opened and are hypogynous in nature, with their floral organs attaching to the receptacle beneath the ovary.


                                                


Plant part used
Leaves, fruit, shoot and bark


Traditional uses

• M. koenigii's leaves possess stomachic and spasmolytic properties and aid in promoting appetite and digestion. They are consumed in their raw green form to alleviate symptoms of diarrhea and dysentery.
  
• M. koenigii's roots and bark exhibit antivenom activity and are employed in the treatment of bites from poisonous animals and insects.
• Indians believed that by taking 10 fresh matured leaves for three months, diabetics could help relieve their burdens of the disease.

Medicinal used

• Both the leaves and seeds of M. koenigii contain essential oils that possess antibacterial and antifungal properties.
• Over a 15-day period, supplementing with 12 g of M. koenigii leaves, which provided 2.5 g of fiber, resulted in a significant decrease in fasting blood sugar levels and decrease in post-prandial sugar levels.

                                                  

List of Country
M. koenigii has been cultivated in India, Sri Lanka, South-East Asia, Australia, Pacific Island, and Africa.

Red List Category
This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Muhammad Nazri Azam Bin Jafree