HARITAKI
Haritaki consists of the pericarp of mature fruits of Terminalia chebula Retz. (Fam. Combretacem), a moderate sized or large tree found throughout India, chiefly in deciduous forests and areas of light rainfall, but occasionally also in slightly moist forests, upto about 1500 m elevation, throughout India, flowers appear from April, August and fruits ripen from October-January.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Abhaya, Kayastha, Siva, Pathya, Vijaya (Not Bhanga)
Assamese : Shilikha
Bengali : Haritaki
English : Myrobalan
Gujrati : Hirdo, Himaja, Pulo-harda
Hindi : Harre, Harad, Harar
Kannada : Alalekai
Kashmiri : Halela
Malayalam : Katukka
Marathi : Hirda, Haritaki, Harda, Hireda
Oriya : Harida
Punjabi : Halela, Harar
Tamil : Kadukkai
Telugu : Karaka, Karakkaya
Urdu : Halela
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Intact fruit yellowish-brown, ovoid, 20-35 mm long, 13-25 mm wide, wrinkled and ribbed longitudinally, pericarp fibrous, 3-4 mm thick, non-adherent to the seed, taste, astringent.
b) Microscopic Transverse section of pericarp shows epicarp consisting of one layer of epidermal cells inner tangential and upper portions of radial wall thick, mesocarp, 2-3 layers of collenchyma, followed by a broad zone of parenchyma in which fibres and sc1ereids in group and vascular bundles scattered, fibres with peg like out growth and simple pitted walls, sclereids of various shapes and sizes but mostly elongated, tannins and raphides in parenchyma, endocarp consists of thick-walled sclereids of various shapes and sizes,
mostly elongated, epidermal surface view reveal polygonal cells, uniformly thickwalled, several of them divided into two by a thin septa, starch grains simple rounded or oval in shape, measuring 2-7 n in diameter, found in plenty in almost all cells of mesocarp.
Powder– Brownish in colour, under microscope shows a few fibres, vessels with simple pits and groups of sclereids.
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 5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 40 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 60 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
CONSTITUENTS – Tannins, anthraquinones and polyphenolic compounds.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Amla, Katu, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Caksusya, Dipana, Hrdya, Medhya, Sarvadosaprasamana, Rasayana, Anulomana
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Triphala Curna, Triphaladi Taila, Abhayarista, Agastya Haritaki Rasayana, Citraka Haritaki, Danti Haritaki, Dasamula Haritaki, Brahma Rasayana, Abhaya Lavana, Pathyadi Lepa
THERAPEUTIC USES – Sotha, Arsa, Aruci, Hrdroga, Kasa, Pandu, Prameha, Udavarta, Vibandha, Jirnajvara, Visamajvara, Siroroga, Tamaka Svasa, Gulma, Udararoga
DOSE – 3-6 g of the drug in powder form.
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