ARAGVADHA(Stem bark)
Aragvadha consists of stem bark of Cassia fistula Linn. (Fam. Fabacem), a medium sized deciduous tree, 6 to 9 m tall with bright yellow flowers in long pendulous racemes, and long cylindrical blackish-brown pods of 25 to 50 cm in length and upto 3 cm in width; found wild and also commonly planted as ornamental tree in most parts of the country up to an altitude of 1200 m.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Krtamala, Vyadhighata, Sampaka, Samyaka, Nrpadruma, Krtamalaka,
Rajavrksa.
Assamese : —
Bengali : Sondaalee, Sonaalu
English : Indian Laburnum, Purging Fistula, Pudding pipe tree
Gujrati : Garmaalo
Hindi : Amaltaas, Girimaal
Kannada : Kakke, Kakkemar
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Konna
Marathi : Baahvaa
Oriya : Sunaari
Punjabi : Amaltaas, Kaniyaar, Girdnalee
Tamil : Konnai
Telugu : Rela
Urdu : Amaltaas
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug occurs in flat or curved thick pieces; outer surface smooth to rough with warty patches; greenish-grey to red; inner surface rough, reddish with parallel striations; fracture, laminate; odour, sweet and characteristic; taste, astringent.
b) Microscopic
Stem bark shows 5 to 8 layers of cork, composed of square to rectangular cells; cortex many layered, outer consisting of rectangular cells, middle tangentially elongated cells and inner of polygonal cells; groups of stone cells, oval to elongated arranged tangentially forming a continuous or discontinuous band; fibres present in groups in rest of the cortex; phloem shows sieve elements, phloem parenchyma and bast fibres in patches, traversed by uni to triseriate medullary rays of radially elongated oval cells; phloem parenchyma of rectangular to polygonal thin walled cells; bast fibres moderately thick walled, lignified, in groups surrounded by crystal fibres; abundant isolated calcium oxalate prism crystals present also in cells of outer cortex and inner cortex; starch grains mostly simple, but a few with 2 or 3 components in phloem parenchyma.
Powder -Light brown; shows thin walled parenchymatous cells; numerous bundles of lignified fibres associated with crystal fibres; sieve tubes, many, well-developed; numerous stone cells, thick walled, lumen nearly absent; abundant prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate mostly present singly in a cell and also as numerous crystal fibres; starch grains mostly simple, 2 or 3 in compound grains, hilum inconspicuous.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 13 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 25 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 18 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of the diethyl ether extract on precoated silica gel ‘G’ plate (0.2 mm thick) using petroleum ether : ethyl acetate : formic acid (15:2.5:0.2) showed spots at Rf 0.19, 0.28, 0.54 and 0.72 (all pink) on spraying with vanillin-sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate at 105oC for about ten minutes.
CONSTITUENTS – Anthraquinones, tannins, sterols.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Tikta
Guna : Guru
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Pittahara, Vatahara, Kosthasuddhikara
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Avittoladi Bhasma Ksara, Manasamitra Vataka
THERAPEUTIC USES – Sula, Aruci, Gulma, Jvara, Krmi, Raktapitta, Gandamala, Upadamsa, Kustha, Vibandha, Kamala, Hrdroga, Vatarakta, Sotha, Mutrakrcchra, Daha, Udaravikara, Prameha, Vrana, Kandu, Grahani, Asmari.
DOSE – 50 – 100 ml kvatha.
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