A large, woody, climbing shrub. Leaves broadly elliptic-ovate or obovate. Flowers unisexual, yellowish or greenish-white, borne in pendulous terminal panicles. Fruit subglobose capsule, bright yellow when matured. Seeds ellipsoid or ovoid, transversally wrinkled, reddish brown.

The seeds are acrid, bitter, thermogenic, emollient, stimulant, intellect promoting, digestive, laxative, emetic, expectorant, appetizer, aphrodisiac, cardiotonic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, emmenagogue, diaphoretic, febrifuge and tonic, improves learning and memory and shows cognitive enhancing abilities through an anti-cholinesterase-like mechanism.

Herbal Monograph
Celastrus paniculatus Seeds and Oil Studies

Mal III A and B, zeylasterone and seylasteral

In rheumatism, treats scabies, pains and wounds, intestinal ulcers, tuberculosis, epilepsy, stomach disorders, psychosis, oedema, disorder of nervous system, leprosy (seed oil); in gout, external wounds, beriberi and as a sedative in anxiety and other nervous problems, intestinal diseases, wound, drowsiness in fever and amenorrhoea, sharpens the memory, cures sores, ulcers, rheumatism and gout; to treat pneumonia (crushed root).

Sharma, Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants.