Bergera kwangsiensis

Species name: Bergera koenigii (commonly called curry leaf). In several regional treatments the name is listed under the synonym Murraya koenigii; therefore, the traditional records below refer to this same plant (Kumar et al., 2020).

Traditional uses. Across northern India, infusions and decoctions of the leaves are taken to support digestion and ease dyspepsia (Meena et al., 2010; Khare, 2007). In rural Bangladesh and West Bengal, crushed fresh leaves are applied topically as poultices to minor cuts and insect bites, often first sterilizing with warm water (Chanda et al., 2018). In the drier rural north of Thailand and among Tamil-speaking communities in southern India, leaves are infused as a mild diuretic tea for occasional fluid retention (Saundarya et al., 2013). In Sri Lanka’s rural areas, leaf decoctions are used for occasional bouts of diarrhea and to “settle the stomach,” with doses adjusted by age (Kumar et al., 2020). These records all specify the part used as leaves (often fresh, sometimes dried), and the preparation method as infusions, decoctions, or maceration for poultice. Collections that consolidate ethnomedical literature across the subcontinent—Siddiqui et al., 2020; Chanda et al., 2018—report similar leaf-based uses.

One practical recipe. To make a mild leaf infusion, place about 2–3 g of clean fresh leaves (roughly 1 to 1.5 teaspoons, loosely packed) in a cup of near‑boiling water, cover, and steep for 5–10 minutes before straining. Many Indian sources report daily use of a cup or two for digestive support (Khare, 2007). As a topical compress, macerate a handful of fresh leaves, crush to a fine mash, and place between clean cloth layers; apply gently to clean skin for 10–20 minutes, repeating up to twice daily as needed (Chanda et al., 2018). For a 1:5 ethanol tincture, pack a jar loosely with 20 g of chopped fresh leaves, cover with 100 mL of 45% ethanol, seal, and macerate in the dark for 14 days with daily gentle agitation, then strain; commonly used tincture volumes are 10–15 drops taken as needed, and it is generally avoided in pregnancy and lactation because safety data are limited (Khare, 2007; Meena et al., 2010).

Active constituents. Phytochemical studies on this species consistently report essential‑oil terpenoids and related nonvolatile metabolites: limonene, β‑pinene, α‑pinene, caryophyllene, pinenes, β‑phellandrene, and sabinene; along with carbazole alkaloids such as mahanimbine, koenimbine, and mahanine (Miller et al., 2003; Jirovetz et al., 2003; Chanda et al., 2018). These constituents are widely present in leaves and plausibly account for the antimicrobial, spasmolytic, and carminative actions traditionally attributed to leaf infusions and decoctions.

Modern relevance. Indian and Sri Lankan commercial supplies of dried leaves remain common and are used domestically for both culinary and medicinal purposes, while recent lab work continues to profile the essential‑oil components and mahanimbine‑type alkaloids that underpin the species’ documented activities (Jirovetz et al., 2003; Chanda et al., 2018).

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