KANTAKARI
Kanakari consists of mature, dried whole plant of Solanum surattense Burm. f., Syn. Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad . & Wendl , (Fam. Solanacem), perennial, very prickly diffused herb of waste land, found throughout India.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Vyaghri, Nidigdhika, Ksudra, Kantakarika, Dhavani, Nidigdha, Dusparsa
Assamese : Katvmdana, Kantakar
Bengali : Kantakari
English : Febrifuge plant
Gujrati : Bharingani
Hindi : Katai, Katali, Ringani, Bhatakataiya, Chhotikateri
Kannada : Nelagulla, Kiragulla
Kashmiri : Kath
Malayalam : Kantakari chunda
Marathi : Bhauringani, Kataringani
Oriya : Bhejibaugana, Ankarati, Chakada Bhoji
Punjabi : Kandiari
Tamil : Kandangatri, Kandankatri, Kandanghathiri
Telugu : Nelamulaka, Pinnamulaka, Mulaka, Chinnamulaka, Vakudu
Urdu : —
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Root-10-45 cm long, few mm to two cm in diameter, almost cylindrical and tapering, bearing a number of fine longitudinal and few transverse wrinkles with occasional scars or a few lenticels and small rootlets, transversely smoothened surface shows a thin bark and wide compact cylinder of wood, fracture, short, taste, bitter.
Stem-herbaceous, prickly with prominent nodes and internodes, green when fresh, young branches, covered with numerous hairs, mature ones glabrous, furrows more prominent in young stem appearing almost circular towards basal region, stem pieces 8-10 mm thick of variable length, external surface light green, when dry, surface yellowish green and smooth, transversely smoothened surface shows a very thin bark and prominent wood, centre shows a large and distinct, pith, mr ture and dry stem often with hollow pith, fracture short to slightly fibrous.
Leaves-petiolate, exstipulate, ovate–oblong or elliptic, sinuate or sub-pinnatifid, subacute hairy, 4-12.5 cm long and 2-7.5 cm wide, green, veins and midrib full with sharp prickles, odour and taste not distinct.
Flower– ebracteate, pedicellate, bisexual, pentamerous, regular, complete, bright blue or bluish purple, calyx-persistent, gamosepalous, tube short, globose, linear-lanceolate, acute, hairy, 0.5-1 .3 cm long and densely prickly, corollagamopetalous, lobes deltoid, acute, hairy, 1-2 cm long and purple in colour, stamens 5, epipetalous, basifixed, filament short 1-1.5 mm long, anther, oblong lanceolate, 0.7-0.8 cm long, ovary superior, ovoid, glabrous, bilocular with axile placentation having numerous ovules.
Fruit-Berry globular, measuring 0.8-1 cm in diameter, surrounded by persistent calyx at base unripe fruits variegated with green and white strips, ripe fruit shows different yellow and white shades.
Seeds-circular, flat, numerous, embedded in a fleshy mesocarp about 0. 2 cm in diameter, glabrous taste, bitter and acrid.
b) Microscopic
Root– transverse section of mature root shows cork composing of 3-6 layers of thinwalled, rectangular and tangentially elongated cells, cork cambium single layered followed by 6-15 layers of thin-walled, tangentially elongated to oval or circular parenchymatous cells, stone cells either single or in groups of 2-20 or even more present in this region, secondary phloem composed of sieve elements and phloem parenchyma traversed by medullary rays, stone cells present in singles or in groups of 2-20 or more in outer, and middle phloem regions, phloem rays 1-4 cells wide and 2-22 cells high, cambium 3-5 layered of thin-walled rectangular cells, xylem composed of vessels, tracheids, fibre trachieds, parenchyma and transversed by medullary rays, all elements being lignified, vessels and tracheids with bordered pits, fibres with a few simple pits, xylem parenchyama rectangular or lightly elongated with simple pits and rarely with reticulate thickening, xylem rays 1-3 cells wide and 1-20 cells high, microsphenoidal crystals of calcium oxalate as sandy masses and simple starch grains present in secondary cortex, phloem and medullary rays.
Stem-transverse section of mature stem, 1.5-2 cm thick consists of 6-12 layers of cork of thin- walled somewhat rectangular cells, epidermis remains intact for a long time, secondary cortex consists of 7-11 layers of parenchymatous cells, some cells thickened and lignified forming stone cells primary cortex remains intact even in quite mature stage but later gets crushed, pericyclic fibre, occur singly or in small groups of 2-3, secondary phloem consists of sieve elements, parenchyama, a few fibres, stone cells and traversed by phloem rays, fibres found scattered in singles or in small groups in outer and middle phloem region, inner phloem devoid of fibres, stone cells present in singles or in small groups of 2-4, phloem rays, 1-2 or rarely 3 cells wide, cambium composed of 2-3 layers, xylem consists of vessels, tracheids, parenchyma, fibres and traversed by xylem rays, vessels vary grea tly in shape and size and show bordered pits, tracheids elongated with irregular walls and bordered pits, fibres much elongated, thick-walled and lignified with tapering and pointed ends, some having truncated ends or bifurcated at one or both ends with a few simple pits, trancheids fibres smaller than fibres, with both ends tapering and have reticulate thickening, xylem parenchyma cubical to rectangular with simple or bordered pits or reticulate thickening, xylem rays conspicuous by their pitted thickenings, longer size and radial elongation of cells, 1-2 or rarely 3 cells wide and 2-25 cells high, internal phloem composed of sieve elements and parenchyma, forming more or less continuous band and embedded in perimedullary zone, a few phloem fibres similar to those of outer phloem region also present, central region occupied by a large pith, microsphenoidal crystals of calcium oxalate as sandy masses and simple starch grains present in cortex, secondary cortex, phloem, medullary rays and pith cells.
Leaves-Petiole-transverse section of petiole shows circular to wavy outlines, epidermis single layered, covered externally by a thick cuticle, hypodermis consists of 3-4 layers of
collenchymatous, cells, one large-crescent-shaped, bicollateral, central vascular bundle and two small lateral bundles present, rest of tissue of petiole composed of polygonal, angular, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells, epidermis shows mostly stellate and rarely urn to tricellular hairs.
Midrib-transverse section of midrib shows a biconvex structure, epidermis on either side covered externally by a thick cuticle, below epidermis 3-4 layers of collenchyma present, stele composed of crescent-shaped, bicollateral, central vacscular bundle and two small lateral vascular bundles, rest of tissue composed of thin-walled, parenchyma, some stellate hair present on epidermis.
Lamina-transverse section shows dorsiventral structure, epidermis on either side, wavy in outline, covered externally by a thick cuticle, on upper side mesophyll composed of a single layered palisade and 4-6 layers of loosely arranged spongy parenchyma, some stellate hairs (4-8 armed) present on both sides of epidermis, anisocytic stomata present on both surfaces, vein-islet number 46-80 on lower epidermis (mean 63), 61-80 on upper epidermis (mean 70), stomatal index 20-25 (mean 22.5) on lower epidermis, 14-24 (mean 19) on upper epidermis, palisade ratio 1.7-4 (mean 2 .85).
Fruit-transverse section of mature fruit shows single layered epidermis, covered externally by a thin cuticle, 1-2 layers of collanchyma present below epidermis, mesocarp composed of thin-walled, oval to polygonal cells, some fibre., vascular bundles present scattered, seed consists of thick-walled radially elongated testa, narrow endosperm with embryo, some cells of endosperm contain oil globules.
Powder – Greenish, under microscope shows single or groups of stone cells, groups of aseptate fibre with tapering ends, pitted vessels, groups of spongy parenchyma, fragments of palisade tissue, anisocytic stomata, stellate hairs and simple, rounded to oval starch grains measuring 2.75-11 n in dia.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 9 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 3 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 16 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
CONSTITUENTS – Glucoalkaloids and sterols.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Sothahara, Dipana, Pacana, Amadosanasaka, Kanthya
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Kanakaryavaleha, Pancatiktaka Ghrta, Vyaghriharitaki
THERAPEUTIC USES – Aruci, Svasa, Jvara, Kasa, Pinasa, Svarabheda, Parsvasula
DOSE – 20-30 g of the drug for decoction.
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