KARANJA (Root)
Karanja consists of dried root of Pongamia pinnata (Linn.) Merr., Syn. P. glabra Vent. (Fam. Fabacem); a glabrous tree, upto 18 m or sometimes more in height, found almost throughout the country upto an altitude of 1200 m.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Ghrtakaranja, Karanjaka, Naktahva, Naktamala
Assamese : Korach
Bengali : Dahara karanja, Natakaranja
English : —
Gujrati : Kanaji
Hindi : Karanj
Kannada : Honge
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Pungu, Ungu
Marathi : Karanja
Oriya : Karanja
Punjabi : Karanj
Tamil : Pungai
Telugu : Ganuga, Kanuga
Urdu : Karanj
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug occurs in pieces of varying sizes, bark, reddish-brown or dull brown, rough due to the presence of numerous, irregularly distributed, and also transversely arranged rows of lenticels, bark does not easily separate from xylem, internally light yellow, light in weight, fracture, fibrous in bark portion and hard to break in xylem portion where the root is thick when in pieces splits longitudinally; taste, bitter.
b) Microscopic
Root -Shows cork consisting of 5-15 or more rows of rectangular, tangentially elongated, thin-walled, cells; secondary cortex wide composed of polygonal, tangentially elongated cells, most of the cells containing both simple and compound starch grains consisting of 2-3 components, rounded to oval in shape, 3-11 n in dia., some cells containing yellowish-brown contents and prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate; stone cells found in single as well as in groups of varying shapes and size; secondary phloem a very wide zone, consisting of tangentially arranged fibres, alternating with sieve elements and phloem parenchyma traversed by phloem rays mostly straight, 1-2 seriate, consisting of radially elongated, thin-waned cells towards inner region, tangentially elongated towards outer region; starch grains, and crystals similar to those of cortical cells, also present in phloem parenchyma and phloem rays; secondary xylem consisting of vessels, tracheids, fibres and parenchyma; vessels found scattered throughout secondary xylem region in singles or groups of 2-4 or rarely, more; fibres thick-walled arranged in tangential bands traversed by xylem rays; xylem parenchyma cells thin-walled, rounded to oval in shape; xylem rays uni to triseriate consisting of radially elongated cells; starch grains and calcium oxalate crystals are similar to those present in cortical cells and also found scattered in xylem parenchyma and xylem ray cells.
Powder -Light yellow; shows fibres in singles or groups; xylem vessels entire or in pieces with reticulate thickenings; starch grains in abundance both simple and compound, consisting of 2-3 components, measuring 3-11 n in dia., stone cells 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 8 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 7 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
CONSTITUENTS – Karanjin, Kanugin, Demethoxy-kanugin, Pongachromene & Tetra-O- Methylfisetin.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Tiksna
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Kandughna, Kaphahara, Pittahara, Vatahara, Visaghna, Vranasodhana,
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Dhanvantara Ghrta.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Dustavrana, Krmiroga, Kustha, Prameha, Yoniroga, Kandu, Antravidradhi, Vidradhi.
DOSE – 1-2 g. of the drug in powder form.
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