DRAKSA (Fruit)
Draksa consists of dried mature fruits of Vitis vinifera Linn. (Fam. Vitaceae); a deciduous climber, mostly cultivated in north western India in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir for their use as dessert fruit. However, the dried fruits, known in trade as ‘Raisins’, are mostly imported into India, from the Middle East and Southern European countries.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Mrdvika, Gostani
Assam. : Dakh, Munaqqa
Beng. : Maneka
Eng. : Dry Grapes, Raisins
Guj. : Drakh, Darakh
Hindi. : Munkka
Kan. : Draksha
Kash. : —
Mal. : Munthringya
Mar. : Draksha, Angur
Ori. : Drakya, Gostoni
Punj. : Munaca
Tam. : Drakshai, Kottai Drakshai
Tel. : Draksha Kottai, Drakshai
Urdu. : Munaqqa
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Fruit a berry, sticky and pulpy, dark brown to black; oblong or oval, sometimes spherical; 1.5 -2.5 cm long and 0.5-1.5 cm wide; outer skin irregularly wrinkled forming ridges and furrows; usually contain 1-4 seeds, 4-7 mm long, ovoid rounded to triangular or simply ovoid, brown to black; odour, sweetish and pleasant; taste, sweet.
b) Microscopic
A single layered epidermis cells filled with reddish-brown contents; mesocarp pulpy, made up of thin-walled, irregular cells containing prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, measuring 13.75 -41 μ in dia.; some fibro-vascular bundles also present in this region; seeds composed of testa and endosperm; testa composed of thick-walled yellowish cells; endosperm composed of angular parenchymatous cells containing oil globules and cluster crystals of calcium oxalate, measuring 11-16 μ in diameter.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 3 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 0.2 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 70 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.7
Loss on drying Not more than 15 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.9
T.L.C. –
T.L.C of the alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using n-Butanol : Acetic acid: Water (4:1: 5) shows under UV (366 nm) a fluorescent zone at Rf. 0.29 (blue). On exposure to Iodine vapur four spots appear at Rf. 0.08, 0.29, 0.69 and 0.85 (all yellow). On spraying with 5% Methanolic-Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for about ten minutes at 110°C three spots appear at Rf. 0.08 (black), 0.29 (black) and 0.98 (violet)
CONSTITUENTS – Malic, Tartaric & Oxalic Acids, Carbohydrates and Tannins.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Kasaya
Guna : Guru, Sara, Snigdha
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Caksusya, Vrsya, BrÆhana, Vatapittahara, Svarya
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Draksasava, Draksarista, Draksavaleha, Draksadi Kvatha Curna, Draksadi Curna, Eladi Gutika
THERAPEUTIC USES – Trsna, Jvara, Kasa, Svasa, Daha, Sosa, Kamala, Raktapitta, Ksata Ksina, Vibandha, Arsa, Agnimandya, Madatyaya, Pandu, Udavarta, Asya Sosa, Vatarakta
DOSE – 5-10 g. of the drug.
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