GAJAPIPPALI (Fruit)
Gajapippali consists of dried, transversely cut pieces of mature female spadix of Scindapsus officinalis Schoott. (Fam. Araceae); a large epiphytic climber, found all along the sub-Himalayan tract between an altitude of 330-1000 m in West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman Islands.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Gajakrsna, Hastipipali
Assamese : —
Bengali : Gajapeepal
English : —
Gujrati : Motopeepar
Hindi : Gajapeepal
Kannada : Adkebeeluvalli
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Attipali
Marathi : Gajapipalee
Oriya : —
Punjabi : Gajapeepal
Tamil : Anaitippalee
Telugu : Enugopippal
Urdu : —
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Fruit – Occurs in transversely cut circular pieces of about 2.0-3.0 cm in diameter and 2.0-3.5 cm thick, brownish-grey, rough and scaly, cut surface has a central core, surrounded by fruits enclosing the seed covered partly by aril; odour and taste not distinct.
Seed – Kidney-shaped, 0.3-0.4 cm wide, 0.4-0.6 cm long, smooth, shiny, greyish-brown with a dent, odour and taste not disticnt.
b) Microscopic
Fruit – Shows more or less loosely arranged, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells having more or less isodiametric cells filled with brown content and numerous acicular crystals of calcium oxalate.
Seed – Shows a single layered, oval to polygonal, thin-walled testa followed by 2-3 layered, thick-walled, oval to polygonal, non-lignified, sclereid-like cells having wide lumen and concentric striations; 2-4 layered, oval to polygonal, thick-walled, lignified stone cells having very narrow lumen, pitted and with concentric striations; thin-walled, irregular parenchymatous cells containing oil globules and aleurone grains.
Powder – Dark brown; shows lignified, oval to polygonal stone cells having lumen and striations; numerous needle-like acicular crystals of calcium oxalate, measuring 120-130 n in length and oil globules.
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 1.5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 3 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 11 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract of drug on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Chloroform :
Methanol (1:1) shows two spots at Rf. 0.65 and 0.73 (both light yellow) in visible light Under U.V. (366 nm) four fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.27, 0.65, 0.73 and 0.93 (all blue) are visible. On exposure to Iodine vapour five spots appear at Rf. 0.20, 0.27, 0.65, 0.73 and 0.93 (all yellow). On spraying with 5% Methanolic-Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for ten minutes at 1l0°C. Three spots appear at Rf. 0.65, 0.73 (both light brown) and 0.93 (brown).
CONSTITUENTS – Glucosides viz. Scindapsin A & Scindapsin B, Sugars & Fixed Oil.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu
Guna : Ruksa
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Dipana, Kanthya, Kaphahara, Vatahara, Agnivardhaka, Malavisosana, Stanya, Varnya
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Sivagutika, Punarnavasava, Mahayogaraja Guggulu, Prasarini Taila, Candraprabha vati.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Atisara, Svasa, Krmiroga, Kanha Roga.
DOSE – 2-3 g. in extract (Phant) form.
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