ARDRAKA (Rhizome)
Ardraka consists of fresh rhizome of Zingiber officinale Rosc. (Fam. Zingiberaceae); a herbaceous rhizomatous perennial, reaching up to 90 cm in height, widely cultivated in India. Rhizomes are dug in January-February, buds and roots are removed and washed well.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Katubhadra, Srngavera
Assamese : —
Bengali : Ada
English : Ginger
Gujrati : Adu
Hindi : Adarakha
Kannada : Alla, Hasishunti
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Inchi
Marathi : Ardrak, Ale
Oriya : —
Punjabi : Adi, Adrak
Tamil : Injee, Allam, lakottai, Inji
Telugu : Allamu, Allam
Urdu : Adrak
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug occurs as entire rhizome or in pieces, rhizome laterally compressed bearing flattish ovate, oblique branches on upper side, each having a depressed scar at its apex, pieces 5-15 cm long, 1.5-6.5 cm wide (usually 3-4 cm) and 1-1.5 cm thick, fracture, short with projecting fibres, transversely cut surface shows a wide central stele having numerous greyish cut ends of fibres and yellow secreting cells; odour, gingery; taste, pungent
b) Microscopic
Rhizome – Shows a few layered, irregularly arranged, tangentially elongated, brown cells of outer cork and 6-12 rows of thin-walled, colourless, radially arranged cells of inner cork; secondary cortex consisting of hexagonal to polygonal, isodiametric, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells containing numerous circular to oval starch grains with striations and hilum at one end with clear concentric striations, measuring 5-25n in dia., idioblasts containing large yellowish to brownish globules of oleo-resin; walls of oil cells suberised; numerous closed, conjoint, collateral, cortical fibro-vascular bundles scattered throughout cortical zone, greater number occurring in inner cortical region, larger bundles consists of 2- 7 vessels, small cells of sieve tube, polygonal cells of parenchyma and group of fibres; vessels showing reticulate, scalariforrn and spiral thickening; fibres septate with a few oblique pores on their walls; endodermis single layered, free from starch; pericycle single layered enclosing central stele; stele consisting of thin-walled polygonal, isodiametric cells of parenchyma, filled with abundant starch grains, oleo-resin cells similar to those present in cortex; fibrovascular bundles of two types, those arranged along pericycle in a definite ring are smaller in size and devoid of fibres, vessels 2-5 in number, larger bundles found scattered throughout stele, composed of xylem, phloem, parenchyma and sheath of sclerenchyma.
Powder -Light yellow; shows thin-walled parenchymatous cells, septate fibres with oblique, elongated pits on their walls, reticulate and spiral vessels, oleo-resin cells abundent, single starch grains of varying shapes with eccentric hilum, measuring 5-25 n in diameter.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 0.5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 8 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 5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
Moisture content Not more than 90 per cent, Appendix 2.2.9
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract of drug on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Benzene: Ethyl acetate (9: 1) in visible light four spots are seen at Rf 0.16, 0.35, 0.63 & 0.69 (all light yellow). Under U.V. (366 nm) three fluorescent zones appear at Rf. 0.16 (blue), 0.63 (grey) & 0.69 (grey). On exposure to Iodine vapour eleven spots appear at Rf. 0.03, 0.08, 0.13, 0.16, 0.35, 0.47, 0.63, 0.69, 0.76, 0.83 & 0.92 (all yellow). On spraying with Vanillin Sulphuric acid reagent & heating the plate for ten minutes at 110°C eight spots appear at Rf. 0.08 (violet), 0.l6 (brownish violet), 0.35 (light violet), 0.47 (light violet), 0.63 (light violet), 0.69 (light violet), 0.76 (violet) & 0.92 (violet). CONSTITUENTS – Volatile Oil containing Cineole zingiberol, and sesquiterpene like zingiberene, bisobolene and sesqui phellandrene, gingerosol in the oleo-resin.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu
Guna : Guru, Ruksa, Tiksna
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Dipana, Hrdya, Kaphahara, Vatahara, Rocana, Bhedana, Svarya, Vrsaya.
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Ardraka Khandavaleha, Sarasvatarista.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Sula, Vibandha, Anaha, Sopha, Kantharoga.
DOSE – 2-3 ml of the drug in juice form with honey.
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