SRUVAVRKSA (Stem Bark)
Sruvavrksa consists of dried stem bark of Flacourtia indica Merr. Syn. F. ramontchi L Herit. (Fam. Flacourtiacem), a small deciduous, usually thorny tree or shrub, found in the sub-Himalayan tract and outer Himalayas upto 1220 m and also common throughout Indian deciduous forests.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Gopakanta, Vikankata
Assamese : Bainchi, Bewich, Bincha
Bengali : Governors Plum, Madaraskara
English : —
Gujrati : Kankata
Hindi : Bilangra
Kannada : llumanika, Dodda Gejjala Kai
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Vayankataku, Vikamkath, Yali Nzerinigal
Marathi : Kaker
Oriya : Kantheikoli, Vaincha, Vinch
Punjabi : Kakoa, Kukoya
Tamil : Kat Ukala, Sottaikala
Telugu : Kanavegu Chettu, Putregu, Vika
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug occurs in 2 to 5 cm long and 1 to 3 mm thick, curved, quilled or flat pieces; external surface smooth, reddish-grey, having lenticels, internal surface reddishbrown; fracture, short.
b) Microscopic
Mature bark shows 4 to 13 layers of exfoliated cork consisting of tangentially elongated and radially arranged, thin-walled cells, a few containing reddish-brown contents; secondary cortex consisting of oval to elliptical, tangentially elongated, parenchymatous cells, followed by a zone of compactly arranged fibre and groups of stone cells; secondary phloem composed of sieve elements, parenchyma, phloem rays and phloem fibres; lignified phloem fibres oval to polygonal mostly in groups; phloem rays 1 or 2 cells wide and 3 to 10 cells deep, slightly thick-walled; prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate present in secondary cortex and phloem parenchyma; starch grains simple, round to oval measuring 3 to 11 n in dia.
Powder – Crearnish-brown; shows cork cells, lignified phloem fibres, prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, numerous, round to oval starch grains measuring 3 to 11 n in dia,
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 16 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 0.6 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 6 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 11 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Chloroform : Methanol (9:1) shows under U.V. (366nm) one fluorescent spot at Rf. 0.27 (Sky blue). On exposure to Iodine vapour four spots appear at Rf. 0.13, 0.20, 0.27 and 0.64 (all brownish yellow). On spraying with 5% Methanolic-Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for ten minutes at 105oC five spots appear at Rf. 0.06, 0.13, 0.20, 0.27 and 0.64 (all greyish brown).
CONSTITUENTS – Tannin and Flacourtin, a phenolic glucoside ester.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Tikta
Guna : Laghu, Tiksna
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Kaphahara, Pittahara, Dipana
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Aragvadhadi Kvatha Curna
THERAPEUTIC USES – Raktavikara, Sopha (Sotha), Dusta Vrana
DOSE – 50-100 gm of the drug for decoction.
Latest Govt Job & Exam Updates: