BHURJAH (Stem Bark)

Bhurjah consists of the stem bark of Betula utilis D.Don syn. B.bhojpattra Wall. (Fam. Betulacem), a moderate sized tree, usually with a somewhat irregular bole; occasionally a mere shrub, forming the upper limit of forest vegetation, found throughout the main Himalayan range ascending to an altitude of 4200 m.

SYNONYMS

Sanskrit : Bhurja Patrah, Mrducchada, Bahulavalkala, Bhurjagranathi, Carmi,
Lekhyapatrakah
Assamese : —
Bengali : Bhoojpatra, Bhujipatra
English : Himalayan Silver Birch
Gujrati : Bhojpatra
Hindi : Bhojapatra
Kannada : —
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Bhurjamaram
Marathi : Bhoorjapatra
Oriya : —
Punjabi : —
Tamil : Bhojapatram
Telugu : Bhurjapatri
Urdu : —

DESCRIPTION

a) Macroscopic

Broad, horizontal paper like strips, flaps or flakes of varying sizes or loosely laminated exfoliating pieces of bark; outer surface smooth silver grey or creamishyellow with brown streaks; inner surface shining, reddish brown in colour, slightly wrinkled, more often devoid of markings; odour, slightly terbinthene; taste-none.

b) Microscopic

T.S. shows rectangular cells, 6 to 9 layers of thin walled parenchymatous cells, containing prismatic calcium oxalate crystals.

Powder – Light brown; parenchymatous cells, with a few prismatic calcium oxalate crystals present.

IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH

Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 2.1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1.1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 19 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 0.8 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.

T.L.C.

T.L.C. of chloroform extract of the drug on a precoated silica gel G plate using nhexane : ethyl acetate (9:1), on spraying with Liberman-Burchard reagent and heating the plate for about 5 minutes at 110oC, three spots appear at Rf . 0.31 (blackish-grey), 0.62 (dark pink) and 0.54 (light pink) and were comparable to the spots of betulin, lupeol and 3 β-acetoxy-12-oleanen-28-oic acid respectively.

CONSTITUENTS – Betulin, lupeol and 3 β – mtoxy – 12 – oleanen – 28 – oic acid.

PROPERTIES AND ACTION

Rasa : Katu, Kasaya
Guna : Laghu
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Tridosasamana, Bhutaraksakara, Visaghna, Balya, Slesmahara, Medohara

IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Ayaskrti

THERAPEUTIC USES – Balagraha, Raktapitta, Vrana, Karnaroga, Kustharoga, Raksoghnadhupana, Aparapatana, Garbhasanga, Granthivisarpa

DOSE – 1-3 g.

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