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INTRODUCTION

Activities:

Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antitumor, chemopreventive, hepatoprotective, analgesic, antibacterial1,2

Important Chemical Components:

Tannins (emblicanin A and B, corilagin, puningluconin, pedunclagin), ascorbic acid, amino acids, flavonoids, gallic acid, ellagic acid, rutin, curcuminoids, kaempferol, phyllembelic acid, linoleic acid, norsesquiterpenoids, pyrogallol1,3–6

Origin Classification:

Natural components isolated from various parts of Emblica officinalis. A standardized extract of E. officinalis (trade name Emblica) is 100 percent natural.

Personal Care Category:

Depigmenting, antiaging, sunscreen

Recommended for the following Baumann Skin Types:

DRPT, DRPW, DSPT, DSPW, ORPT, ORPW, OSPT, and OSPW

SOURCE

Emblica officinalis (also referred to taxonomically as Phyllanthus emblica, and popularly known as Indian gooseberry, amla in Hindi, amaliki in Sanskrit, as well as various other names in multiple languages) is a deciduous tree of the Euphorbiaceae family indigenous to India (and is variably classified in the Phyllanaceae family). Its fruit is a rich dietary source of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), various minerals, amino acids, as well as phenolic compounds and is the most important of the many parts of the plant used for food and medicinal purposes.7 Amla has long been used in Ayurveda and Unani medicine, and is highly regarded for its unique array of tannins (particularly emblicanin A and emblicanin B) and flavonoids, which display potent antioxidant properties.4,8,9 Indeed, it is actually one of the most important plants in Ayurveda.10 The amla fruit is known to confer strong antioxidant activity and to protect human dermal fibroblasts against oxidative stress. For this reason, it is considered a useful and intriguing component in natural skin care.11 In fact, E. officinalis is the foremost agent in the Ayurvedic arsenal for combating cutaneous aging and is considered a rasayana or restorative and adaptogenic agent.9,12 Besides India, the plant is also found extensively throughout Asia, including Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and has been used in other longstanding medical practices such as Siddha, Unani Tibetan, and Sri Lankan as well as traditional Chinese medicine and traditional Thai medicine.1,7

SOME TRADITIONAL MEDICAL SYSTEMS THAT USE EMBLICA

Ayurveda: derived from the Sanskrit ayu (life) and veda (knowledge), it is a 5,000-year-old traditional medical system in India.

Unani: Graeco-Arabic traditional medicine based on Arab and Persian adaptations of the teachings of the Greek physician Hippocrates and Roman physician Galen that has been broadly practiced by Muslims in the Middle East and South Asia.

Siddha: one of the oldest known traditional medical systems, traced back 10,000 years in India.

HISTORY

Emblica has been a staple in traditional medical practices throughout Asia for hundreds of years and is considered one of the most important plants in Ayurvedic medical practice (Table 38-1).7 Traditional indications in Ayurveda include diarrhea, jaundice, and inflammation....

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