KARKASA (Root)
Karkasa consists of the root of Momordica dioica Roxb. ex Willd. (Fam. Cucurbitacem) a vine found throughout India up to an altitude of 1500 m, also cultivated for its fruits, which are used as vegetables.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Karkotaki, Vandhya Karkotaki
Assamese : —
Bengali : Titkaankarol
English : —
Gujrati : Baanjhakartolaa, Kankodi
Hindi : Vanakakodaa, Baanja, Khekhasaa, Kakodaa
Kannada : —
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : —
Marathi : Vaanjh-Kartoli, Kartole
Oriya : Kaankada
Punjabi : —
Tamil : Paluppakai
Telugu : Aagaakar
Urdu : —
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Finely chopped pieces of tuberous roots, outer surface rough and greyish-brown, central portion white to cream, starchy, friable; fracture, fibrous; odourless and slightly bitter taste.
b) Microscopic
T.S. shows cork 6 to 9 cells deep, cells brick-shaped and arranged in rows with greyish-brown contents; cork cambium cells similar in structure and size followed by a zone of compressed cells 2 to 4 cells deep; cortex composed of about 10 layers of cells, thin walled, irregular in shape and parenchymatous, towards the inner side of the cortex, scattered solitary or groups of sclerenchymatous cells are present; phloem 6 to 8 cells deep, phloem parenchyama usually filled with starch grains of about 16 to 25 n in diam.; xylem composed of scattered vessel strands and xylem parenchyma; most of the vessels are usually solitary or found in groups of 2 or 3; xylem parenchyma contains round or oval starch grains similar to that in phloem.
Powder: Whitish-brown, free flowing, characterized by the presence of sclerenchymatous cells, showing radial pit canals and narrow lumen; starch grains, cork cells and parenchymatous cells are also present.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 8 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 2 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 31 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of water extract on silica gel ‘G’ plate using n-butanol : Acetic acid : Water (40:10:50) shows nine spots at Rf 0.19, 0.23, 0.24, 0.27, 0.36, 0.40, 0.53, 0.72 and 0.89 on spraying with 10% alcoholic sulphuric acid and heating the plate for 15 minutes at 110oC.
CONSTITUENTS – α- eleostearic acid, 2-acetyl-5-chloropyrrole.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Tikta
Guna : Laghu, Tiksna
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Kaphahara, Pittahara, Rasayana, Rucikara, Vranasodhaka
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Hiraka Rasayana, Visanasaka Yoga (Ayurved Prakash), Kakadani Taila, Kalagnirudra Rasa, Sannipata Vidhvanisa Rasa, Candrarudra Rasa
THERAPEUTIC USES – Asmari, Arsa, Svasa, Hikka, Jvara, Kamala, Kasa, Ksaya, Mutrakrcchra, Madhumeha, Netraroga, Sarpavisa, Visarpa, Sarpavisavikara, Raktarsa, Siroroga
DOSE – 3-6 g.
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