KETAKI
Ketaki consists of dried, underground roots of Pandanus tectorius Soland.ex Parkinson (Fam. Pandanacem), a densely branched shrub, rarely erect found along the coast of India and Andaman Island and sometimes cultivated in gardens also.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Sucikapuspa
Assamese : Katki
Bengali : Katki
English : Screw pine
Gujrati : Kevado
Hindi : Kevada
Kannada : Kadajlmudu, Talehuvu
Kashmiri : —-
Malayalam : Pookaitha
Marathi : Kewda
Oriya : Ketaki, Kia
Punjabi : Keora
Tamil : Tazhai
Telugu : Mogali
Urdu : —-
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Root pieces, 2-6 cm long, 0.3-2 cm in diameter, cylindrical, rusty or yellowishbrown, to grey, surface smooth except for protuberances at certain places, papery cork, surface uneven, easily peelable exposing a fibrous surface, fracture, usually unbreakable.
b) Microscopic
Transverse section of mature root shows a wide zone of stratified cork, exfoliating at places, consisting of rectangular, thin-walled, tangentially elongated, radially arranged cells, upper few layers filled with reddish-brown contents, remaining cells colourless, cortex, a wide zone of rounded cells with fibre groups towards central and middle region, cells obliterated at places, endodermis barrel-shaped, slightly thickwalled , pericycle and phloem not distinct, xylem forms bulk of root consisting of vessels, fibres and parenchyma, medullary rays not distinct, vessels show annular or pitted thickening, fibres thick-walled, elongated having a few simple pits. Powder-Yellowish-brown, under microscope shows fragments of corks, xylem vessels and fibres.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 11 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 9 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 16 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
CONSTITUENTS – Essential oil.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Katu, Tikta
Guna : Laghu
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Balya, Kesya, Rasayana, Varnya, Daurgandhyanasana, Dardhyakara, Saukhyakara, Kaphapaha, Caksusya.
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Triphaladi Taila
THERAPEUTIC USES – Gulma, Netraroga, Kapharoga.
DOSE – 20-30 g of the drug for decoction.
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