KADAMBA (Stem Bark)
Kadamba consists of dried stem bark of Anthocephalus cadamba Miq., Syn. A. indicus A. Rich. (Fam. Rubiacem), a deciduous, large tree, attaining a height of 18 m with a girth of about 2 m, found all over India on the slopes of evergreen forests upto 500 m and planted in parks and near temples etc.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Vrtta Puspa, Priyka
Assamese : Roghu, Kadam
Bengali : Kadam
English : —
Gujrati : Kadamb, Kadam
Hindi : Kadam, Kadamba
Kannada : Kadamba, Kadamba mara, Kadavala, Neirumavinamara
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Attutekka, Katampu
Marathi : Kadamb
Oriya : Holiptiya, Kadamba Nipo, Kadambal
Punjabi : Kadamb
Tamil : Arattam, Indulam, Kadappai, Vellai Kadambam, Vellaikhadambu, Kadambu Needam, Vellai Kadambu
Telugu : Kadambamu, Kadimi Chettu
Urdu : —
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Bark externally greyish-green with shallow fissures, exfoliating in small irregular woody scales, internally light reddish to reddish-brown, easily separates from inner bark into tangential strips; taste, bitter.
b) Microscopic
Stem Bark -Outer most zone of the bark shows rhytidoma with cork 4-6 layers wide, composed of thin-walled, rectangular cells; phloem fibres same in structure as found in inner bark; middle bark composed of rectangular or tangentially elongated cells without intercellular spaces, some cells contain chlorophyll, most cells thick-walled but a few thin-walled containing prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, a few cells with brown contents; inner bark consists of groups of fibres alternating with phloem, traversed by uni to triseriate, elongated cells of phloem rays; phloem composed of sieve tubes, phloem fibres, companion cells and phloem parenchyma; cells of phloem parenchyma thinwalled and polygonal; phloem fibres lignified with narrow lumen and pointed ends; outer region of inner bark and phloem tissues thin-walled, comparatively large and consisting of rounded to polygonal cells a few phloem cells in this region compressed; phloem rays uni-to triseriate and arranged close to one another, cells distinct and slightly elongated, some cells at the periphery of inner bark tilled with chlorophyll contents.
Powder – Brown; shows fragments of cork cells, phloem cells, fibres, and a few prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 9 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 5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T. L C. of alcoholic extract of the drug on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Ethylacetate :
Methanol : Water (100:13.5:10) shows under U.V (366 nm) nine fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.03, 0.13, 0.21, 0.31, 0.57, 0.64, 0.79, 0.83 and 0.90 (all yellow) On spraying with 5% Methanolic Sulphuric acid reagent on heating the plate at 110°C for ten minutes four spots appear at Rf. 0.63 (yellowish grey), 0.70 (orange yellow), 0.79 (grey) and 0.90 (grey).
CONSTITUENTS – Alkaloids, Steroids, Fats and Reducing Sugars
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Lavana, Kasaya
Guna : Ruksa
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Pittahara, Vatahara, Vranaropana, Vedanastapana
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Nygrodhadi Kvatha Curna, Grahanimihira Taila.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Daha, Raktapitta, Vrana, Yonidosa, Visavrana (Dansaja Vrana).
DOSE – 0.5 – 1.5 g. of the drug in powder form.
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