HAMSAPADI (Whole Plant)
Hamsapadi consists of dried whole plant of Adiantum lunulatum Burm. (Fam. Polypodiaceae); a fern found throughout moist places, generally on the slopes of hills, ascending up to an elevation of about 1370 m.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Hamsapadi, Raktapadi, Kitamata, Tripadika
Assam. : Sharul Arj, Sharujeena, Parsiyav
Beng. : Kali Jhat
Eng. : Maiden Hair
Guj. : Hansaraja
Hindi. : Hanspadee, Hansaraj
Kan. : Hamsapadi
Kash. : —
Mal. : —
Mar. : Hamsaraj
Ori. : —
Punj. : Hamsaraj
Tam. : —
Tel. : Hamsapadi
Urdu. : —
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Root – Very thin, fibrous, about 10-15 cm long, reddish-black in colour, soft and branched.
Rhizome – Long, upto 2 mm thick, glabrous, prostrate or erect, dark reddish-brown or a black in colour.
Frond – Rachis shiny black, simply pinnate, pinna roughly lunulate, subdimidiate, lower edge nearly in line and oblique with its black shiny petiole, upper edge bluntly rounded and more or less lobed, a few sori in a continuous line on the under surface along the edge, with a false indusium.
b) Microscopic
Root mature root shows single layered epidermis consisting of thin-walled, small and irregular cells, followed by 3-4 layers of large thick-walled, polygonal, parenchymatous cells of cortex; endodermis single layered composed of square or somewhat rounded cells; pericycle single layered composed of square shaped sclerenchymatous thick and dark reddish-brown wall; pericycle encloses a diarch stele with a few elements of xylem and phloem.
Rhizome – Mature rhizome consists of thick walled, rectangular, small cells of epidermis, followed by 3-4 layers of sclerenchymatous cells of hypodermis, composed of thickwalled cells; cortex wide, made up of thin-walled, rounded or oval-shaped parenchymatous cells, enclosing an amphiphloic siphonostele; endodermis present; vascular bundle with xylem consisting protoxylem towards both ends and metaxylem in centre; phloem surrounds the xylem externally and also internally; tracheid with scalariform to reticulate thickening present; a central pith consists of thick-walled cells, and fibres, and is sclerenchymatous.
Frond-
Petiole – Shows concave-convex outline; epidermis single layered; hypodermis consists of 2 or 3 layers, lignified, thick-walled, sclerenchymatous cells; ground tissue composed of oval to polygonal, thin-walled parenchymatous cells; stele single, slightly triangular in shape, located centrally and surrounded by peri cycle and endodermis.
Pinnule – Shows single layered epidermis on either surface; mesophyll round to oval in shape and not differentiated into palisade and spongy parenchyma; a few stomata present only on lower surface; a few sori also seen.
Powder – Dark reddish-brown in colour; shows dark reddish-brown pieces of sclerenchymatous cells and light coloured crushed cells of cortex, a few tracheids having reticulate thickening, fibres and a few spores.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 16 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 11 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 5 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.7
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) two fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.80 and 0.96 (both blue). On exposure to Iodine vapour three spots appear at Rf. 0.19, 0.30 and 0.80 (all yellow). On spraying with 5% Methanolic-Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for about ten minutes at 1l0°C three spots appear at Rf. 0.19, 0.30 and 0.80 (all yellowish brown).
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Guru
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Visaghna, Raktavikarahrta
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Madhuyastyadi Taila, Manasa Mitra Vataka, Mukta Paμcamrta Rasa, Svarnabhupati Rasa, Kalakuta Rasa.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Visarpa, Vrana, Daha, Atisara, Luta Visa, Bhuta Graha, Kaksa Sphota, Rakta Vikara
DOSE – 1-3 g.
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