GAMBHARI (Stem Bark)
Gambhari consists of dried stem bark of Gmelina arborea Linn. (Fam. Verbenacem), a large deciduous tree, mostly found in southern peninsula and upto Kashmir
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Kasmari, Kasmarya, Sriparni
Assamese : Gamari
Bengali : Gamar
English : Candhar Tree
Gujrati : Shivani hannu, Shewan
Hindi : Gambhar Khambhari
Kannada : Shivani, Shivanigida
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Kumizhu, Kumbil, Kumpil, Kumizhin
Marathi : Shivan
Oriya : Gambhari
Punjabi : Gumhar, Kumhar
Tamil : Nilakumizh
Telugu : Peggumudu, Peggumaddi
Urdu : —
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Mature stem bark 0.2 to 0.7 cm thick, channelled pieces, ribbed, quilled at some places; outer surface yellowish-brown in colour and rough due to some longitudinal and horizontal cracks, inner surface fairly smooth and reddish-brown to black in colour; fracture, short; odour and taste not distinct.
b) Microscopic
Shows a wide zone of cork consisting of rectangular, thick-walled, lignified cells; cork cambium 1 or 2 layers, filled with reddish-brown contents; secondary cortex consists of 2 or 3 layers, tangentially elongated, elliptical, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells; secondary phloem composed of sieve elements, parenchyma and phloem rays; parenchyma rectangular to polygonal, phloem rays 1 to 7 cells wide, 3 to 16 cells high; rays 4 or 5 cells wide and 8 to 10 cells high more common; stone cells oval to elliptical, lignified, pitted, with wide lumen; stone cells and lysigenous cavities present throughout phloem.
Powder – Reddish-brown; shows fragments of cork cells, thick-walled, elliptical, lignified, pitted stone cells with wide lumen.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 11 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 0.3 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 8 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 23 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract of the drug on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Chloroform Methanol (95:5) shows under U.V. (366 nm) no fluorescent spot. On exposure to Iodine vapour two spots appear at Rf. 0.20 and 0.60 (both yellow).
CONSTITUENTS – Alkaloids, in traces.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Katu, Tikta
Guna : Guru
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Dipana, Kaphahara, Medhya, Sothahara, Pacana, Bhedana, Visahara, Daha, Prasamana
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Candnasava
THERAPEUTIC USES – Sula, Sotha, Arsa, Bhrama, Jvara, Raktapitta, Trsa
DOSE – 3-5 gm.
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