Jarul

Common Name : Jarul

Botanical Name: Lagerstroemia speciosa

Flowers on a tree in Kolkata, West  Bengal, India, where it is locally called Jarul. Lagerstroemia speciosa (Giant Crape-myrtle, Queen's Crape-myrtle, Banaba Plant for Philippines, or Pride of India) is a species of Lagerstroemia native to tropical southern Asia

Bark in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

It is a small to medium-sized tree growing to 20 metres (66 ft) tall, with smooth, flaky bark. The leaves are deciduous, oval to elliptic, 8–15 cm (3.1–5.9 in) long and 3–7 cm (1.2–2.8 in) broad, with an acute apex. The flowers are produced in erect panicles 20–40 cm (7.9–16 in) long, each flower with six white to purple petals 2–3.5 cm (0.79–1.4 in) long.

Banaba has a long history of folkloric medical applications that include blood pressure control, urinary dysfunctions (helps ease urination), cholesterol level control, treatment of diarrhea, facilitates bowel movement, diabetes and as an analgesic. The primary active chemical ingredient of the extract is corosolic acid, and there are also numerous possible synergists including lager-stroemin, flosin B and reginin A. The leaves of the Banabá and other parts are used widely by the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan as a tea preparation. Banaba  herb is one of the 69 herbal plants promoted by the Philippine Department of Health (DOH). Corosolic acid is a known potent glucophage, helpful in decreasing blood sugar levels.