AJAGANDHA
Ajagandha consists of the seeds of Cleome gynandra Linn. Syn. Gynandropsis gynandra (Linn.) Briquet (Fam. Capparidaceae); a strong smelling, somewhat foetid herb, 0.6 – 1 m high, found abundantly throughout warmer parts of India.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Pasugandha
Assamese : Bhutmulla
Bengali : Hurhuria, Shulte
English : Dog Mustard
Gujrati : Talvani, Dhelitalavan
Hindi : Hulhul, Hurhur, Kavalia
Kannada : Naram bele Soppu, Nayeetulasi
Kashmiri : Gandi Buti
Malayalam : Atunari vela
Marathi : Tilvan, Bhatvan, Mabli, Tilavana, Tilvant
Oriya : Anasorisia, anasorisa
Punjabi : Bugra
Tamil : Nal valai, Nal velai
Telugu : Vaminta, Vayinta
Urdu : —
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Seeds, small, 1-2 mm in diameter, kidney shaped, surface rough, dark brown or black.
b) Microscopic
Dark brown, oily; under microscope shows a number of fragments of epidermis of testa consisting of thin-walled, polygonal cells; groups of cells, resembling like stone cells, reddish-brown with non-lignified walls; a large number of oval, rounded or irregularly shaped protein bodies; starch and crystals absent.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 7 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 0.4 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 16 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 7 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
CONSTITUENTS – Fixed oil, essential oil and oleoresin.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Sulaghni, Dipana, Hrdya, Pittala, Vatahara
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Narayana Curna
THERAPEUTIC USES – Gulma, Ashtila, Krmiroga, Kandu, Karnaroga.
DOSE – 1-3 g of the drug in powder form.
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