Sala: Traditional Uses, Evidence & Safety

TL;DR

Sala is Shorea robusta, the sal tree, and its resin (Ral, or Sarjarasa) is a classical Ayurvedic astringent for diarrhea, dysentery, and wounds. It has an Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India monograph. Animal studies are genuinely encouraging: resin extracts improved wound healing and protected against gastric ulcers in rats. No human trials exist.

What it is

Sala (Shorea robusta Gaertn. f.), family Dipterocarpaceae, is the sal tree: one of India's great timber trees, dominant across the sub-Himalayan forests. The medicinal part is the resin that exudes from the trunk, known as Ral or Sarjarasa. It ranges from dark brown to pale amber, is generally tasteless, and hardens into irregular lumps.

The resin has a monograph in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (2008), the government's official quality standard (cited in phytojournal review). Reported constituents include triterpenes and tannins; a triterpene-rich fraction of the resin has been studied specifically for wound healing.

Traditional use

Classical Ayurveda treats the resin as an astringent (grahi): taken with honey or sugar for dysentery, bleeding piles, and gonorrhea, and applied to ulcers and wounds. The bark is likewise astringent and used for wounds and diarrhea. Unani medicine uses the resin for menorrhagia and enlarged spleen (phytojournal review, 2019).

Rasa-panchaka per the batch data: astringent taste (Kashaya), light and dry qualities (Laghu, Ruksha), cooling potency (Sheeta), pungent post-digestive effect (Katu vipaka). It pacifies Pitta and Kapha and aggravates Vata. Traditional classifications: useful context, not clinical evidence.

What modern research says

Wound healing (animal studies)

Wani et al. (2012) tested ointments containing 10% and 30% w/w ethanol extract of Shorea robusta resin in rats. Both produced dose-dependent improvement in wound contraction, wound tensile strength, and hydroxyproline content of wound tissue. A follow-up study (Yaseen Khan et al., Pharmaceutical Biology, 2015) extended this to the resin's essential oil, methanol extract, and a triterpene-rich fraction. All showed wound-healing activity in rats (docksci summary).

Two independent rat studies, consistent results, a plausible mechanism. Still rats.

Anti-ulcer activity (animal study)

Anusuya et al. tested the resin dissolved in water at 150 and 300 mg/kg orally in rat gastric-ulcer models. Pretreatment produced 62.69% inhibition of mucosal damage in the ethanol-induced model and 64.55% in the pyloric-ligation model, comparable to the reference drug omeprazole. Antioxidant markers normalized, and gastric acidity and pepsin were reduced (animal study, cited in RRJPP review).

A strong animal result for the classical "ulcer and wound" indications. Human stomachs remain untested.

Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial signals (animal and in vitro)

The same Wani et al. (2012) program reported anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic, and microbicidal activity of the resin in rat models (phytojournal review, 2019). Preliminary, but directionally consistent with the traditional astringent uses.

What the evidence does not support (yet)

No human clinical trials of Sala resin were identified: not for diarrhea, dysentery, ulcers, or wound healing. The pharmacopoeial monograph standardizes identity and quality, not efficacy.

Safety & contraindications

No human safety data for Sala resin were identified. Animal studies used oral doses up to 300 mg/kg and topical ointments up to 30% without reported toxicity, but that is not human safety evidence. There are no data on pregnancy, breastfeeding, or drug interactions. The astringent action that helps diarrhea can constipate with prolonged use: the traditional caution applies.

FAQs

What is Sala in Ayurveda?

Sala is Shorea robusta, the sal tree. Its trunk resin (Ral/Sarjarasa) is the medicinal part: a classical astringent for diarrhea, dysentery, bleeding piles, and wounds, with an API monograph standardizing its identity.

Does research support Sala for wound healing?

In rats, yes: resin-extract ointments improved wound contraction and tensile strength in two study programs (Wani et al., 2012; Yaseen Khan et al., 2015). No human trials exist.

Does research support Sala for ulcers or diarrhea?

Only in animals. The resin protected rats against two gastric-ulcer models comparably to omeprazole. The classical anti-diarrheal use has no direct modern study behind it.

Is Sala resin safe?

Human safety data are lacking. Animal studies at the tested doses reported no toxicity, which is reassuring but not conclusive. Prolonged use may constipate.

Our editorial rule requires a pharmacopoeial or clinical-trial dose. The API monograph standardizes the drug, not a dose, and no human trial establishes one. We state none.

Annotated Sources

The API monograph (2008) and the pharmacological survey (anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, analgesic, microbicidal activity in rat models) are summarized in the Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2019 review (PDF). The wound-healing studies are Wani et al., 2012 (10% and 30% resin-extract ointments in rats) and Yaseen Khan et al., Pharmaceutical Biology, 2015 (essential oil, methanol extract, and triterpene-rich fraction in rats) (summary). The anti-ulcer findings (Anusuya et al.: 62.69% and 64.55% inhibition at 150–300 mg/kg, comparable to omeprazole) are compiled in the Research & Reviews: Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry review (PDF).

Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Sala resin's traditional uses for diarrhea and wounds rest on classical authority and animal studies; no human trials exist. Talk to a qualified healthcare practitioner before use — especially if pregnant, breastfeeding, managing a medical condition, or taking prescription medicines.