Butea monosperma (syn. Butea frondosa,) is a species of Butea native to tropical southern Asia, from Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and western Indonesia. The gum from the tree, called kamarkas in Hindi, is used in certain food dishes. It is a dried astringent juice obtained from incisions in the stem of the tree. The skin of the bark and resin contains tannic and gallic acids. The resin gum, also called as Kino oil, proteolytic and lipolytic enzymes, palasonin, sitosterol, amyrin, monospermin, lectins and lactone. Synthesis of a coumaranone glucoside palasitrin from the plant and palasonin from the seeds Glycerides of palmitic. Lignoceric, oleic and linoleic acids from seeds oil isolated. A new alkaloid – monospermin – isolated of butrin and isobutrin from flower. The bark of tree yields a kind of coarse and brown colored fiber, which is used for rough cordage. This gum finds use for caulking boats as well. The gum is also known as Bengal Kino, and is considered valuable by druggists because of its astringent qualities, and by leather workers because of its tannin.
