RASNA (Leaf)
Rasna consists of dried leaf of Pluchea lanceolata Oliver & Hiern.(Fam. Asteracem); an annual, ashy and pubescent, undershrub having spreading roots extending to several metres; it grows abundantly in sandy soils in upper Gangetic plain and Rajasthan. It flowers during cold season.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Suvaha, Sugandha,Yukta
Assam. : Rasnapat
Beng. : Rasna
Eng. : —
Guj. : —
Hindi. : Rayasan, Rayasana, Rasna
Kan. : Rasna, Dumme-Rasna
Kash. : —
Mal. : —
Mar. : Rasna, Rayasana
Ori. : —
Punj. : Reshm
Tam. : —
Tel. : Sanna Rashtramu
Urdu. : Rauasan, Rasna
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Leaves simple, 3-5 cm long, 0.6-2 cm broad; sessile, obtuse, lanceolate to ovatelanceolate; margin entire or toothed around the apex, unequal at base; both surfaces pubescent, distinct small hairs more prominent near veins; texture, brittle, papery; odour, characteristic; taste, astringent and slightly bitter.
b) Microscopic
Leaf-
Midrib – shows single layered epidermis covered by thick, striated cuticle; collenchyma 2-5 layered towards xylem, 1-3 layered towards phloem; beneath collenchyma 2-5 layers of parenchyma present on both sides; central portion occupied by a large vascular bundle, xylem facing towards upper and phloem towards lower epidermis; vascular bundle surrounded by sclerenchymatous sheath appearing as a cap above and below; vascular bundle consists of wide phloem, a thin cambium and xylem; phloem consists of phloem parenchyma and a few phloem fibres; xylem consists of tracheids, vessels and xylem parenchyma; vessels arranged radially; parenchyma and palisade cells of leaf contain oil globules, scattered rosette crystals of calcium oxalate are both in lamina and midrib.
Lamina – shows isobilateral structure with palisade occurring in upper and lower mesophyll regions; epidermal cells tangentially elongated, covered by thick, striated cuticle; uniseriate, unbranched covering trichomes 2-3 cells long, present on both surfaces, basal cell short and slightly swollen, apical cells long; stomata, anisocytic and anomocytic present on both surfaces but more on lower surface; palisade tissue 2 or 3 layered on both sides, composed of radially elongated, thin-walled cells; spongy parenchyma composed of thin-walled, circular to elliptical, parenchymatous cells containing abundant chloroplasts with prominent intercellular spaces; a number of small veins, surrounded by a sclerenchymatous sheath present in mesophyll; vascular tissue much reduced and represented by a few phloem and xylem elements; average value of stomatal index on upper surface 14-24 and on lower surface 20-24; palisade ratio not more than 5; average value of vein islet number 27.
Powder – Light green; shows fragments of parenchyma, palisade cells, pointed 2-5 celled trichomes, a few oil globules and rosette 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 22 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 7 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 23 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 in visible light three spots at Rf. 0.37, 0.71 and 0.82 (all grey). Under U.V. (366 nm) three fluorescent zones are visible at Rf. 0.27, 0.71 and 0.82 (all dark brown). On exposure to Iodine vapour seven spots appear at . Rf. 0.08, 0.37, 0.62, 0.67, 0.71, 0.82 and 0.92 (all yellow). On spraying with 5% Methanolic-Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for about ten minutes at 110°C eight spots appear at Rf. 0.08 (greyish brown), 0.17 (violet), 0.37 (brown), 0.62 (violet), 0.67, 0.71, 0.82 (all greyish brown) and 0.92 (violet).
CONSTITUENTS – Flavonoids – Quercetin and Isorhamnetin.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Tikta
Guna : Guru
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Amapacana, Kaphavatahara
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Dasamularista, Devadarvarista, Karpasasthyadi Taila, Rasnadi Kvatha Curna, Rasnaairndadi Kvatha Curna.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Sotha, Vatavyadhi, Svasa, Kasa, Jvara, Udararoga, Sidhma, Adhyavata, Amavata, Vatarakta
DOSE – 25-50 g. (Decoction).
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