HAPUSA (Fruit)
Hapusa consists of dried fruit of Juniperus communis Linn (Fam. Cupressaceae); a dense, more or less procumbent shrub, rarely a small tree, found in the Himalayas from Kumaon westwards at an altitude of 1500-4250 m.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Havusa, Matsyagandha
Assam. : Arar, Abahal, Habbul
Beng. : Hayusha
Eng. : Juniper Berry, Common Juniper
Guj. : Palash
Hindi. : Havuber, Havubair
Kan. : Padma Beeja
Kash. : —
Mal. : —
Mar. : Hosh
Ori. : —
Punj. : Havulber
Tam. : —
Tel. : Hapusha
Urdu. : Abhal, Aarar
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Fruit sub-spherical, berry like, purplish-black, occasionally showing a ‘bloom’, about 0.5-1.0 cm in dia., apex shows triradiate mark and.depression indicating the suture of three fleshy-bracts; at the base are six, small, pointed, bracts arranged in 2 whorls, but occasionally 3 or 4 whorls present; three hard, triangular seeds are embedded in the fleshy mesocarp, each with a woody testa bearing large partly sunk oily glands; odour terebinthine and taste bitter.
b) Microscopic
Outer layer of fruit shows 3-4, large, cubic or tabular cells having thick, brown porous walls externally covered by single layered, colourless cuticle; sarcocarp consists of large, elliptical, thin-walled, loosely coherent cells, containing drops of essential oil and prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate; oval to elongated, elliptical, triangular or irregular shaped cells abundant in this region; seed coat shows 2 or 3 layers of tabular, thin-walled cells covered externally by a thin cuticle and followed internally by a wide zone of thick-walled polygonal sclerenchymatous cells; endosperm and embryo not distinct.
Powder – Brown; shows oval to elongated, elliptical and irregular shaped, thick-walled stone cells; rectangular to hexagonal, straight, thick walled epidermal cells in surface view; prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate and oil globules.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 5 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 12 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.6
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 9 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.7
T.L.C. –
T.L.C. of the alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Toluene: Ethylacetate (9 : 1) shows under UV (366 nm) three fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.11 (light blue), 0.20 (light blue) and 0.58 (blue). On exposure to Iodine vapour ten spots appear at Rf. 0.17, 0.25, 0.30, 0.36, 0.46, 0.58, 0.64, 0.67, 0.90 and 0.96 (all yellow). On spraying with Vanillin Sulphuric acid and heating the plate for ten minutes at 110°C twelve spots appear at Rf. 0.11, 0.17, 0.25, 0.30 (all brown), 0.36 (light brown), 0.46, 0.52 (both brown), 0.58 (dirty yellow), 0.64 (brown), 0.73 (light brown), 0.90 (light brown) and 0.96 (brown).
CONSTITUENTS – Essential Oil and Flavonoids.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Guru, Mrdu
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Kaphanasaka, Visaghna, Agnidipaka, Vatanasaka
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Kumaryasava, Saptavinsitika Guggulu, Dadhika Ghrta, Narayana Curna, Trayodasanga, Guggulu, Pradarantaka Lauha, Nityananda Rasa
THERAPEUTIC USES – Pittodara, Arsa, Grahani, Gulma, Sula, Krmi, Vatodara, Pliharoga
DOSE – 2-6 g. in powder form.
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