HIMSRA (Root)
Himsra consists of root of Capparis spinosa Linn. (Fam. Capparidacem), a thorny shrub distributed in the plains, lower Himalayas, and Western Ghats.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Ahimsra, Kanthari, Tiksna, Kantaka Tiksnagandha
Assamese : —
Bengali : —
English : Ceper Plant
Gujrati : Kabaree
Hindi : Kabara, Hainsaa, Kanthara
Kannada : —
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : —
Marathi : Kabar
Oriya : —
Punjabi : Barar, Kaur
Tamil : —
Telugu : Jeevakamu
Urdu : Kabar
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Root pieces are upto 5.5 cm in thickness; bark rough to touch, thick showing longitudinal lenticels; freshly broken surface light yellowish; wood hard and compact; remnants of robust and slender rootlets present on the bark; colour varies from pale yellow to reddish-brown; no particular odour or taste.
b) Microscopic
A transverse section of root characterised by outermost layer of slightly suberised corky zone of several layers showing irregular and broken outline; cork cambium made of 4 or 5 layers of thin walled, small, squarish cells; cortex consisting of thin walled, irregular or somewhat tangentially elongated cells; angular sclereids in groups of 2 to 3 and upto 30 n in size scattered in cortex; phloem in the form of multiple layers of cells forming a continuous cylinder around inner vascular zone, separated from the xylem by 4 to 5 layers of vascular cambium; wedges of vascular elements with thick walled cells span the centre of the root and the outer zone; vessels isolated or in groups of two, distributed uniformly among xylem parenchyma, which has granular contents; medullary rays of thin walled, mostly uniseriate, rectangular cells, often having granular contents; pith absent.
Powder – Powder shows vessel fragments with simple pitted thickenings and tracheids with tapering or blunt ends; sclereids upto 30 n size and in groups of 2 or 3.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 13 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of the alcohol soluble extract of the drug on precoated silica gel ‘G’ plate (0.2 mm thick) using chloroform:methanol (95:5) under UV (366nm) shows spots at Rf 0.01 (Blue), 0.11 (Blue); 0.93(Blue).On spraying with anisaidehyde: sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for ten minutes at 110o C three spots appear at Rf 0.32(Orange), 0.62 (Purple), 0.68 (Cream).
CONSTITUENTS – The roots contain alkaloid stachydrine. Glucobrassicin, neoglucobrassicin and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin have also been identified in the roots.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Dipani, Kaphahara, Vatahara, Rucya.
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Amratadi Taila, Kutikhadi Vatika, Himsradya Ghrta
THERAPEUTIC USES – Arsa, Gulma, Kasa, Vatarakta, Vrana, Vatavikara, Svasa, Galaganda, Amavata, Grdhrasi, Raktagranthi, Vatikayoniroga, Vatasopha, Granthi
DOSE – 1 – 3 g.
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