Common Name: Kapoor, Karpura
English Name: Camphor
Botanical Name: Cinnamomum camphora
Family: Lauraceae
Description: Cinnamomum camphora occurs in valleys and on mountain slopes. It is also widely cultivated. Camphor tree is huge evergreen tree that grows with the height of 20-30metres tall. The leaves of this tree are lustrous, and give waxy appearance. The leaves are 2-4 inch long and evergreen. The flowers are white-yellow and give pleasant fragrance. The fruit of camphor tree is dark green berry bearing in clusters and the colour changes to black when the fruit gets ripe. The bark of the tree is rough externally and smooth internally. Roots, branches, leaves, and wood of C. camphora can be used for extracting camphor and camphor oil for pharmaceutical use and as aflavoring. The core of the fruit, which has both industrial and medicinal uses,is approximately 40 percent oil.
Chemical Constituents: The important chemical constituents are a-pinene, camphene, b-pinene, sabinene, phellandrene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, y-terpinene, p-cymene, terpinolene, furfural, camphor, linalool, bornyl acetate, terpinen-4-ol, caryophyllene, borneol, piperitone, geraniol, safrole, cinnamaldehyde, methyl cinnamate and eugenol.
Properties: When first applied camphor oil numbs and cools the peripheral nerve endings, then warms the painful area as it stimulates circulation to cold, stiff muscles and limbs. This analgesic effect of camphor helps in pain relieve for sore muscles, low back pain, and arthritic pain. Being a detoxifier and a stimulant for circulatory system, camphor oil excites blood circulation and gives relief to rheumatic diseases, arthritis, and gout. Camphor also acts as an expectorant and helps clear lung congestion. Camphor is a very useful ingredient in inhalations for coughs, colds and difficulties in breathing. These actions, along with camphor's anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial properties make it a very useful and popular remedy for colds, flu, and bronchitis.
Used in the following MATXIN products: