ASANA (Stem Bark)
Asana consists of dried stem bark of Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. (Fam. Fabaceae); a moderate to large sized, deciduous tree, upto 30 m high and 2.5 m in girth, with straight clear bole, found throughout deciduous forests in peninsular India.
SYNONYMS –
Sansk : Bijaka, Pitasara, Asanaka, Bijasara
Assam : Aajar
Beng : Piyasala, Pitasala
Eng : Indian Kino Tree
Guj : Biyo
Hindi : Vijayasara, Bija
Kan : Bijasara, Asana
Kash : Lal Chandeur
Mal : Venga
Mar : Bibala
Ori : Piashala
Punj : Chandan Lal. Channanlal
Tam : Vengai
Tel : Yegi, Vegisa
Urdu : Bijasar
DESCRIPTION –
a) Macroscopic:
Drug consists of pieces of stem bark, 1-1.5 cm thick, channeled, usually yellowish-grey with brownish spots due to exudates, outer surface rough and uneven due to protuberances and exfoliations, longitudinal and horizontal cracks present, inner surface fairly smooth; fracture fibrous, breaks with much difficulty; taste, astringent.
b) Microscopic:
Stem bark shows the presence of rhytidoma; idioblasts consisung of lysigenous cavities, present in a row just below cork; secondary cortex not distinct; secondary phloem occupies almost two third of the thickness of bark consisting of sieve elements, phloem parenchyma, phloem fibres, crystal fibres and traversed by a number of phloem rays; sieve elements and parenchyma found collapsed towards the middle and outer regions of phloem, forming ceratenchyma; phloem parenchyma thin-walled, circular to oval; phloem fibres single usually numerous in groups forming alternating bands throughout phloem region, thick-walled and lignified with a small lumen; rhomboidal crystals of calcium oxalate found scattered throughout the region; lysigenous cavities and tanniniferous ducts filled with red colour masses distributed throughout phloem region; phloem rays very close to each other, mostly uniseriate but biseriate rays also occasionally found .
Powder – Yellowish-brown; shows plenty of lignified fibres, crystal fibres, reddish – brown contents and free rhomboidal crystals of calcium oxalate.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH –
Foreign matter Not more than 2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 18 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1.5 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.4
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 7.5 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.6
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 11.5 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.7
T.L.C. –
T.L.C. of the alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using n-Butanol : Acetic Acid: Water (4:1:5) shows six spots at Rf 0.09, 0.22, 0.41 0.52, 0.63 and 0.78 (all brown). On exposure to Iodine vapour six spots appear at Rf 0.09, 0.22, 0.41, 0.63,0.78 (all brown) and 0.92 (yellow). On spraying with 5% Methanolic Phosphomolybdic acid reagent six spots appear on heating the plate at 105°C for about ten minutes at Rf. 0.09, 0.22 (both blue), 0.41 (faint blue), 0.63, 0.78 and 0.92 (all blue).
CONSTITUENTS – Tannins and Gum Kino (which contains Kino-Tannic Acid, 1- Epicatechin and a reddish brown colouring matter).
PROPERTIES AND ACTION –
Rasa : Katu, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Pittahara, Saraka, Vatartidosanut, Galadosaghna, Kesya, Tvacya, Raktamandalnasini, Slesmahara
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Narasingha Ghrta Rasayana
THERAPEUTIC USES – Pandu, Prameha, Medodosa, Kustha, Krmiroga, Svitra, Madhumeha, Sthoulya.
DOSE – 32-50 g. of the drug for decoction.
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