Chemical and morphological variations in Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb. – a species of commercial ayurvedic formulation triphla from central India

Terminalia bellirica is one of the high traded medicinal plant species, mainly known for its fruits which are bestowed with numerous biological activities and used in treatment of various ailments. The fruits are one of three ingredients of well-known Ayurvedic formulation ‘TRIPHLA’. The purpose of this study was to determine the variations for Gallic acid (GA), a chemical marker compound, as well as for key morphological traits (height, girth at breast height, clear bole height, fruit size) in trees from central Indian states viz. Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. In this investigation, we also explored the correlation between the chemical marker and morphological features. The study suggested the maximum GA content (0.98±0.42%) in populations of Keregaon range of Dhamtari forest division of Chhattisgarh state which can be considered as superior chemotypes/ populations. The correlation analysis exhibited the positive association between fruit size and GA content.