DARUHARIDRA (Stem)
Daruharidra consists of dried stem of Berberis aristata DC. (Fam. Berberidaceae); an erect, spinous, deciduous shrub, usually 1.8-3.6 m in height found in the Himalayan ranges at an elevation of 1000-3000 m, and in the Nilgiri hills in South India.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Katamkateri, Darvi
Assamese : —
Bengali : Daruharidra
English : Indian Berberry
Gujrati : Daruharidra, Daruhuladur
Hindi : Daruhaldi, Darhald
Kannada : Maradarishana, Maradarishina, Daruhaladi
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Maramannal, Maramanjal
Marathi : Daruhalad
Oriya : Daruharidra, Daruhalidi
Punjabi : Sumalu
Tamil : Gangeti, Varatiu manjal
Telugu : Manupasupu
Urdu : Darhald
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug available in pieces of variable length and thickness, bark about 0.4 – 0.8 cm thick, pale yellowish-brown, soft, closely and rather deeply furrowed, rough, brittle, xylem portion yellow, more or less hard, radiate with xylem rays, pith mostly absent, when present small, yellowish-brown when dried, fracture short in bark region, splintery in xylem; taste, bitter.
b) Microscopic
Stem -Shows rhytidoma with cork consisting of 3-45 rectangular and squarish, yellow coloured, thin-walled cells, arranged radially; sieve elements irregular in shape, thin walled, a few cells containing yellowish-brown contents; phloem fibres arranged in tangential rows, consisting of 1-4 cells, each fibre short thick-walled, spindle-shaped, lignified having wide lumen; half inner portion of rhytidoma traversed by secondary phloem rays; phloem rays run obliquely consisting of radially elongated parenchymatous cells, almost all phloem ray cells having single prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, a few cells of rhytidoma also contain prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate; stone cells also found scattered in phloem ray cells in groups, rarely single, mostly elongated, a few rounded, arranged radially, some of which contain a single prism of calcium oxalate crystals; secondary phloem, a broad zone, consisting of sieve elements and phloem fibres, traversed by multi seriate phloem rays; sieve elements arranged in tangential bands and tangentially compressed cells alternating with single to five rows of phloem fibres, phloem fibres short, lignified, thick-walled having pointed ends; secondary xylem broad consisting of xylem vessels, tracheids, xylem fibres and traversed by multi seriate xylem rays; xylem vessels numerous, small to medium sized, distributed throughout xylem region in groups or in singles, groups of vessels usually arranged radially; isolated vessels cylindrical with rounded or projected at one or both ends with spiral thickening; xylem fibres numerous, lignified, large, thick-walled with wide lumen, and pointed tips; xylem rays quite distinct, straight, multiseriate, consisting of radially arranged rectangular cells, each ray 30-53 cells high, 8-12 cells wide, a few ray cells
containing brown contents.
Powder – Yellow; shows mostly fragments of cork cells, sieve elements, yellow coloured phloem fibres entire or in pieces, stone cells in singles or in groups, numerous prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, xylem vessels having spiral thickening, thick-walled, lignified xylem fibres and ray cells.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 14 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 5 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 8 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
CONSTITUENTS – Alkaloids
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Tikta
Guna : Ruksa
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : —
Karma : Stanya Sodhana, Stanya Dosahara, Dosa Pacana
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Bhrngaraja Taila, Asvagandhadyarista, Khadiradi Gutika, Khadirarista, Jatyadi Taila, Triphala Ghrta.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Kandu, Medoroga, Mukharoga, Vrana, Amatisara, Urustambha, Kapharoga, Karnaroga, Netraroga, Meha.
DOSE – 5-10 ml of the drug in Kvatha form.
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