ERVARU (Seed)
Ervaru consists of seeds of Cucumis melo var. utilissimus Duthie & Fuller Syn. C.utilissimus Roxb. (Fam. Cucurbitaceae), an annual creeping herb, cultivated in many parts
of the country, especially in upper India and particularly in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Bahukanda, Brhatphala, Hastipani. Hastipani, Karkati.
Assamese : —
Bengali : Kakur, Karikuda
English : Snake Cucumber
Gujrati : Kakadi
Hindi : Karkri, Kakadi
Kannada : Saute
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Kamkadi, Vellarika
Marathi : Kakadi, Valnka
Oriya : —
Punjabi : Kakri
Tamil : Kakkarikkay, Vellarikkai
Telugu : Dosakaya
Urdu : Kakari
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Seed compressed, more or less ellipsoid, 0.7-10 cm long, 0.3-0.4 cm wide, surface smooth, glossy, creamish-yellow; taste, sweetish oily.
b) Microscopic
Seed -Shows seed coat consisting of a layer of round to oval stone cells, lignified with distinct lumen and striations, followed by a narrow zone of endosperm consisting of cellulosic, thin-walled, rounded and tangentially elongated, parenchymatous cells, containing a few oil globules and aleurone grains; cotyledons two, straight, consisting of single layered epidermal cells, covered with thick cuticle, mesophyll cells thinwalled, radially elongated to squarish, parenchymatous, containing numerous oil globules and aleurone grains.
Powder – Creamish-yellow and oily; shows stone cells, mesophyll cells and numerous oil globules and aleurone grains.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 4 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 0.5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 10 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract of the drug on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Toluene :
Ethylacetate (90:10) shows one fluorescent zone at Rf.0.91 (blue) under U.V. (366 mm). On exposure to Iodine vapour ten spots appear at Rf. 0.19, 0.26, 0.35, 0.51, 0.58, 0.64, 0.77,0.83,0.91 and 0.97 (all yellow) .On spraying with 5% Methanolic Phosphomolybdic acid reagent and on heating the plate for fifteen minutes at 105°C ten spots appear at Rf. 0.19, 0.26, 0.35, 0.51, 0.58, 0.64, 0.77, 0.83, 0.91 and 0.97 (all grey).
CONSTITUENTS – Oil & Sugars.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Tikta
Guna : Guru, Ruksa
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Bhedi, Dipana, Kaphakara, Pittahara, Rucya, Vatakara, Raktadosakara, Grahi
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Dadhika Ghrta.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Daha, Gulma, Jvara, Raktapitta, Trsna, Asmari, Mutrakrcchra
DOSE – 3-6 g. of seeds.
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