PIPPALIMULA (Stem)
Pippalimula consists of dried, cut, stem pieces of Piper longum Linn. (Fam. Piperacem); a slender, aromatic, creeping and perennial herb; native of the hotter parts of the counrty and found wild as well as cultivated extensively in Bengal and southern states.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Magadhi, Granthika, Pippalika
Assamese : —
Bengali : Pipulmul
English : Piper root
Gujrati : Gantoda, Ganthoda
Hindi : Piparamula
Kannada : Modikaddi, Hippali, Tippali, Modi
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Kattuthippaliver, Tippaliveru
Marathi : Pimplimula
Oriya : Pippalimula, Bana Pippalimula
Punjabi : Pippalimula, Magha
Tamil : Kanda Tippili, Ambinadi Desavaram
Telugu : Modi, Madikatta
Urdu : Filfil Daraz
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug available in cut pieces, having distinct internodes and swollen nodes with a number of small rootlets and root scars; stout, cylindrical, 0.2-0.6 cm thick, reddish brown to grey; odour, aromatic; taste, pungent.
b) Microscopic
Stem – Shows a single layered epidermis followed by a continuous ring of collenchymatous and round to oval thin-walled, parenchymatous cells; vascular bundles show peripheral and medullary arrangment, separated from each other by a wavy strip of sclerenchyma forming a ring, enclosing pith; bundles collateral and arranged in rings, having sclerenchymatous sheath of pericyclic cap over phloem; xylem wedge-shaped; starch grains simple and compound having 2-7 components, round to oval, measuring 3-14 n in dia., present abundantly throughout the section.
Powder – Reddish-brown to crearnish-grey; under microscope shows scalariform vessels, aseptate fibres, simple and compound starch grains measuring 3-14 n in diameter.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 5.5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 0.2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 4.0 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 12 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract of the drug on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Toluene:
Ethylacetate (9:1) shows under U.V. light eight spots at Rf. 0.04 (yellow), 0.12 (light green), 0.25 (green), 0.31 (light green), 0.36 (light green),0.53 (light green), 0.65 (green) and 0.97 (blue). On exposure to Iodine vapour five spots appear at Rf. 0.13, 0.25, 0.40, 0.89, 0.93 (all yellow). On spraying with Dragendorff reagent two orange coloured spots appear at Rf. 0.13 & 0.25.
CONSTITUENTS – Alkaloids (Piperine, Piperlongumine, Piperlonguminine etc), Essential Oils.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Dipana, Kaphahara, Pacana, Rucya, Vatahara, Vatanulomana, Vulaprasamana
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Pancakola Curna, Dasamula Taila, Dasam ulapancakoladi Kvatha Curna, Dasamulastapalaka Ghrta.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Anaha, Gulma, Krmiroga, Udararoga, Vataroga
DOSE – 0.5 – 1g. of the drug in powder form.
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