AMRA HARIDRA (Rhizome)
Amra Haridra consists of the rhizome of Curcuma amada Roxb. (Fam. Zingiberacem), a biennial with ovoid root stock, 60 to 90 cm high, grown in W. Bengal and on the hills of west coast of India.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Amradrakam, Amragandha-haridra
Assamese : —
Bengali : Aamaa Aadaa
English : Mango-ginger
Gujrati : Aambaa haldhar
Hindi : Aamaa-haldi, Amiyaa haldi
Kannada : Ambarasini, Huli Arsin
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Mangayinji
Marathi : Aambe halad, Ambaa halad
Oriya : —
Punjabi : Ambiya haladi
Tamil : Mankayyinji
Telugu : Mamidi Allamu
Urdu : —
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Rhizome laterally flattened, longitudinally wrinkled, 2 to 6 cm long, 0.5 to 2 cm in diameter, branched, remnant of scaly leaves arranged circularly giving the appearance of growth rings; cut pieces 1.5 to 3.5 cm in diameter, circular, punctate scars on the surface, branching sympodial, horizontal; roots long, unbranched, tapering, thread like, yellowish-brown; rhizome buff coloured with short and smooth fracture; odour and taste like raw mango.
b) Microscopic
T.S. of rhizome circular in outline; epidermal cells rectangular-oval; cuticle thick, long unicellular trichomes present, storied suberized cork cells interrupted by lysigenous oil glands; a wide cortex having irregularly scattered vascular bundles, each vascular bundle with a prominent fibrous sheath; inner limit of cortex marked by endodermis followed by pericycle; vascular bundles devoid of sheath, arranged in a ring; schizogenous canals and abundant oil cells with suberized walls found in cortex and in central region; most of the parenchymatous cells filled with starch grains, which are oval-ellipsoidal, sometimes polygonal in shape, 10 to 60 n m, simple, hilum circular or a 2 to 5 rayed cleft, lamellm distinct and concentric; vascular bundles in the central cylinder are similar to those in the cortex, scattered, closed, collateral, surrounded by sheath of thick walled cells; secondary wall thickening reticulate; fibres thin walled lignified, lumen narrow.
Powder – Powder light yellow, sweet, raw mango like odour; shows fragments of storied cork, xylem vessels with reticulate thickenings, lignified xylem fibres, oil cells, patches of parenchymatous cells filled with starch grains which are oval-ellipsoidal, sometimes polygonal in shape, 10 to 60 nm, simple, hilum circular or a 2 to 5 rayed cleft, lamellm distinct and concentric. Powder when treated with 1N aqueous NaOH becomes green with yellowish tinge under UV 254 nm; with 1N HCl and nitrocellulose in amylacetate added one after the other, powder becomes orange in daylight.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 12 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 9 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 14 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
Starch Not less than 16 per cent, Appendix 2.2.13
Essential oil Not less than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.10
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of the methanolic extract on precoated silica gel ‘G’ plate (0.2 mm thick) using toluene : ethyl acetate : methanol (5 : 0.5 : 0.05) shows fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.10 (green) and 0.34 (blue) under UV (366 nm). On spraying with anisaldehydesulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for ten minutes at 1200C, spots of purple colour appear at Rf. 0.16, 0.32, 0.72 and 0.97.
CONSTITUENTS – Volatile oil (α-pinene, δ-camphor),α-curcumene, 1-β curcumene, phytosterol.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Tikta
Guna : Laghu, Sara
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Dipani, Kaphahara, Pittahara, Ruciprada, Vrsya
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Asthisandhanaka Lepa
THERAPEUTIC USES – Kandu, Vrana, Kasa, Svasa, Hikka, Jvara, Abhighataja Sotha, Karnasula, Sannipata
DOSE – 2- 4 g.
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