AMALAKI (Dried)
Amalaki consists of pericarp of dried mature fruits of Emblica officinalis Gaertn. Syn. Phyllanthus emblica Linn. (Fam. Euphorbiaceae); mostly collected in winter season after ripening and in Kashmir in summer, a small or medium sized tree, found both in natural state in mixed deciduous forests of the country ascending to 1300 m on hills; cultivated in gardens, homeyards or grown as a road side tree.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Amrtaphala, Amalaka, Dhatriphala
Assamese : Amlakhi, Amlakhu, Amlaku
Bengali : Amla, Dhatri
English : Emblic Myrobalan
Gujrati : Ambala, Amala
Hindi : Amla, Aonla
Kannada : Nellikayi, Bela nelli, pottadenollikayi
Kashmiri : Amli, Embali
Malayalam : Nellikka
Marathi : Anvala, Avalkathi
Oriya : Ainla, Anala
Punjabi : Aula, amla
Tamil : Nellikkai, nelli
Telugu : Usirika
Urdu : Amla, Amlaj
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug consists of curled pieces of pericarp of dried fruit occuring either as separated single segment; 1-2 cm long or united as 3 or 4 segments; bulk colour grey to black, pieces showing, a broad, highly shrivelled and wrinkled external convex surface to somewhat concave, transversely wrinkled lateral surface, external surface show s a few whitish specks, occasionally some pieces show a portion of stony testa (which should be removed before processing); texture rough, cartilaginous, tough; taste, sour and astringent.
b) Microscopic
Transverse section of fruit shows epicarp consisting of a single layered epidermis cell appearing tabular and poygonal in surface view; cuticle present; mesocarp cells tangentially elongated parenchymatous and crushed differentiated roughly into peripheral 8 or 9 layers of tangentially elongated smaller cells, rest consisting of mostly isodiametric larger cells with walls showing irregular thickenings; ramified vascular elements occasionally present; stone cells present either isolated or in small groups towards endocarp ; pitted vascular fibres, walls appearing serrated due to the pit canals, leading into lumen.
Powder: Fine powder shows epidermis with uniformly thickened straight walled isodiametric parenchyma cells with irregular thickened walls, occasionally short fibres and tracheids.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 3 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
(Including seed and seed coat)
Total Ash Not more than 7 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 40 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 50 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
CONSTITUENTS – Ascorbic acid and gallotannins.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Amla, Katu, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Caksusya, Rasayana, Tridosajit, Vrsya
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Cyavanaprasa, Dhatri Lauha, Dhatryadi Ghrta, Triphala Curna
THERAPEUTIC USES – Raktapitta, Amlapitta, Premeha, Daha
DOSE – 3-6 g of the drug in powder form.
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