HARIDRA
Haridra consists of the dried and cured rhizomes of Curcuma longa Linn. (Fam. Zingiberacem), a perennial herb extensively cultivated in all parts of the country, crop is harvested after 9-10 months when lower leaves turn yellow rhizomes carefully dug up with hand-picks between October-April and cured by boiling and dried.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Rajani, Nisa, Nisi, Ratri, Ksanada, Dosa
Assamese : Haldhi, Haladhi
Bengali : Halud, Haldi
English : Turmeric
Gujrati : Haldar
Hindi : Haldi, Hardi
Kannada : Arishina
Kashmiri : Ledar, Ladhir
Malayalam : Manjal
Marathi : Halad
Oriya : Haladi
Punjabi : Haldi, Haldar
Tamil : Manjal
Telugu : Pasupu
Urdu : Haldi
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Rhizomes ovate, oblong or pyriform (round turmeric) or cylindrical, often short branched (long turmeric), former about half as broad as long, latter 2-5 cm long and about 1-1.8 cm thick, externally yellowish to yellowish-brown with root scars and annulations of leaf bases, fracture horny, fractured surface orange to reddish brown, central cylinder twice as broad as cortex: odour and taste characteristic.
b) Microscopic
Transverse section of rhizome shows epidermis with thick-walled, cubical cells of various dimensions, cortex characterised by the presence of mostly thin-walled rounded parenchyma cells scattered collateral vascular bundles, a few layers of cork developed under epidermis and scattered oleo-resin cells with brownish contents; cork generally composed of 4-6 layers of thin-walled, brick-shaped parenchyma, cells of ground tissue contain starch grains of 4-15 n in diameter, oil cell with suberised walls containing either orange-yellow globules of volatile oil or amorphous resinous matter, vessels mainly spirally thickened, a few reticulate and annular.
Identification-
1) On the addition of Concentrated Sulphuric acid or a mixture of Concentrated Sulphuric acid and alcohol to the powdered drug, a deep crimson colour is produced.
2) A piece of filter paper is impregnated with an alcoholic extract of the powder, dried, and then moistened with a solution of Boric acid slightly acidified with Hydrochloric acid, dried again, the filter paper assumes a pink or brownish red colour which becomes deep blue or greenish-black on the addition of alkali.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 9 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 8 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 12 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
Volatile oil Not less than 4 per cent, Appendix 2.2.10
CONSTITUENTS – Essential oil and a colouring matter (curcumin).
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta
Guna : Ruksa
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Krmighna, Kushaghna, Varnya, Visaghna, Kaphapittanut, Pramehanasaka
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Haridra Khanda
THERAPEUTIC USES – Pandu, Prameha, Vrana, Visavikara, Kustha, Tvagroga, Sitapitta, Pinasa
DOSE – 1-3 g of the drug in powder form.
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