LAJJALU (Whole Plant)
Lajjalu consists of dried whole plant of Mimosa pudica Linn. (Fam. Fabacem); a diffused undershrub, sensitive to touch, 25-50 cm high, found nearly throught hotter and moist regions of the country.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Samanga, Varakranta, Namaskari
Assamese : Lajubilata, Adamalati
Bengali : Lajaka, Lajjavanti
English : Touch-me-not
Gujrati : Risamani, Lajavanti, Lajamani
Hindi : Chhuimui, Lajauni
Kannada : Muttidasenui, Machikegida, Lajjavati
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Thotta Vati
Marathi : Lajalu
Oriya : Lajakuri
Punjabi : Lajan
Tamil : Thottavadi, Tottalchurungi
Telugu : Mudugudamara
Urdu : Chhuimui
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Root – Cylindrical, tapering, rependant , with secondary and tertiary branches, varying in length, upto 2 cm thick, surface more or less rough or longitudinally wrinkled; greyish brown to brown, cut surface of pieces pale yellow; fracture hard, woody, bark fibrous; odour, distinct; taste, slightly astringent.
Stem – Cylindrical, upto 2.5 cm in dia; sparsely prickly, covered with long,week bristles longitudinally grooved, external surface light brown, internal cut surface grey, bark fibrous; easily separable from wood.
Leaf – Digitately compound with one or two pairs of sessile, hairy pinnm, alternate, petiolate, stipulate, linear lanceolate; leaflets 10-20 pairs, 0.6-1.2 cm long, 0.3-0.4 cm broad, sessile, obliquely narrow or linear oblong; obliquely rounded at base, acute, nearly glabrous; yellowish-green.
Flower – Pink, in globose head, peduncles prickly; calyx very small; corolla pink, lobes 4, ovate oblong; stamens 4, much exserted; ovary sessile; ovules numerous.
Fruit – Lomentum, simple, dry, 1-1.6 cm long, 0.4-0.5 cm broad with indehisced segments and persistent sutures having 2-5 seeds with yellowish, spreading bristle at sutures, 0.3 cm long, glabrous, straw coloured.
Seed – Compressed, oval-elliptic, brown to grey, 0.3 long, 2.5 mm broad having a central ring on each face.
b) Microscopic
Root – Mature root shows cork 5-12 layered, tangentially elongated cells, a few outer layers crushed or exfoliated; secondary cortex consisting of 6-10 layered, tangentially elongated thin-walled cells; secondary phloem compossed of sieves elements, fibres, crystal fibres and phloem parenchyma traversed by phloem rays, phloem fibres single or in groups, arranged in tangential bands; crystal fibres thick-walled, 3-25 chambered, each with single or 2-4 prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate; phloem rays uni to multiseriate, 2-3 seriate more common; secondary xylem consists of usual elements traversed by xylem rays; vessels scattered throughout secondary xylem having bordered pits and reticulate thickenings; crystal fibres containing one or rarely 2-4 prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate in each chamber; parenchyma, thick-walled, scattered throughout secondary xylem; xylem rays uni to bi-seriate, rarely multiseriate, wider towards secondary phloem and narrower towards centre; starch grains, prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate and tannin present in secondary cortex, phloem and xylem rays and parenchyma; starch grains both simple and compound having 2-3 components, rounded to oval measuring 6-20 n and 16-28 n in dia. respectively.
Stem – Mature stem shows 4-8 layered, exfoliated cork of tangentially elongated cells filled with reddish-brown contents; secondary cortex wide, consisting of large, moderately thick-walled, tangentially elongated to oval, parenchymatous cells, filled with reddish-brown contents, a few cells containing prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, a number of lignified, fibres single or in groups, scattered throughout; secondary phloem consisting of usual elements, 2-5 transversely arranged strips of fibres occur alternating with narrow strips of sieve elements and parenchyma, crystal fibres elongated, thick-walled, containing single crystal of calcium oxalate in each chamber; phloem rays thick-walled, radially elongated; secondary xylem composed of usual elements traversed by xylem rays; vessels drum-shaped with spiral thickenings, tracheids pitted with pointed ends, fibres of two types, shorter with wide lumen and longer with narrow lumen; xylem rays radially elongated, thick-walled, 1-6 cells wide and 3-30 cells high; pith consisting of polygonal, parenchymatous cells with intercellular spaces.
Leaf– Petiole – shows single layered epidermis with thick cuticle; cortex 4-7 layered of thin walled, parenchymatous cells; pericycle arranged in a ring; 4 central vascular bundles present with two smaller vascular bundles arranged laterally, one in each wing.
Midrib – shows single layered epidermis, covered with thin-cuticle; upper epidermis followed by a single layered palisade, spongy parenchyma single layered, pericycle same as in petiole; vascular bundle single.
Lamina – shows epidermis on both surfaces, palisade single layered; spongy parenchyma, 3-5 layers consisting of circular cells; rosette crystals and a few veins present in spongy parenchyma.
Fruit – Shows single layered epidermis with a few non-glandular, branched, shaggy hairs; mesocarp of 5-6 layers of thin-walled, parenchymatous cells; some amphicribral vascular bundles found scattered in this region; endocarp of thick-walled, lignified cells followed by single layered, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells
Seed – Shows single layered radially elongated cells; followed by 5-6 layered angular cells filled with dark brown contents; endosperm consists of angular or elongated cells, a few containing prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate; cotyledons consists of thin-walled cells, a few cells containing rosette crystals of calcium oxalate; embryo straight with short and thick radicle.
Powder – Reddish-brown; shows, reticulate, pitted vessels, prismatic and rosette crystals of calcium oxalate, fibres, crystal fibres, yellow or brown parenchymatous cells, palisade cells non glandular, branched, shaggy hairs, single and compound starch grains, measuring 6-25 n in dia. with 2 – 3 components
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 10 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 9 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 9 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract of the drug on Silica Gel ‘G’ plate using n-Butanol :
Acetic acid: Water: (4:1:5) Under U.V. (366 nm) four fluorescent zones appear at Rf. 0.35, 0.62, 0.69 (all blue) and 0.81 (bluish-pink). On exposure to Iodine vapour two spots appear at Rf. 0.35 and 0.94 (both yellow) On spraying with Dragendorff reagent followed by 5% Methanolic Sulphuric acid reagent one spot appears at Rf. 0.35 (orange).
CONSTITUENTS – Alkaloid
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Grahi, Kaphahara, Pittahara
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Samangadi Curna, Kutajavaleha, Pusyanuga Curna, Brhat Gangadhara Curna.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Sopha, Atisara, Svasa, Daha, Kustha, Vrana, Yoniroga, Raktapita
DOSE – 10-20 g of the drug for decoction.
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