KHARJURA (Dried Fruit)
Kharjura consists of dried fruit, with seeds removed, of Phoenix dactylifera Linn. (Fam. Aracem ), a tall tree upto 36 m high, cultivated or occasionally self-sown in arid parts of the country.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Pinda Kharjura
Assamese : Tamar
Bengali : Sohara
English : Dried Dates
Gujrati : Kharek, Kharika
Hindi : Chuhara, Chohara
Kannada : Karinchula, Khajura
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Intappazham, Inthappana
Marathi : Kharika, Kharik Phala, Khajur, Kharik
Oriya : Kharjjuri, Khajur
Punjabi : Khajur
Tamil : Pericham, Karchuram, Perichehantay
Telugu : Kharjura, Kharjuramu
Urdu : Khurma (Khajoor)
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Fruit an oblong berry, 2.5 to 7.5 cm long, wrinkled, hard, reddish-brown, and sweet
b) Microscopic
Shows a wide pericarp consisting of a single layered epidermis covered with striated cuticle; below epidermis 3 to 5 layers of tangentially elongated, tabular, thin walled cells followed by a layer of stone cells with narrow lumen, thick walled, 28 to 55 n in dia., with clear striations; below this a wide zone of oval to elongated, thin-walled parenchymatous cells present; cells of outer 10 layers more elongated than the inner ones; some vascular bundles, groups of tanniniferous idioblasts and oil globules present scattered in this region.
Powder – Reddish-brown; shows groups of thin-walled parenchyma; stone cells, oil globules and tanniniferous idioblasts.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 3 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 20 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 74 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ using n-Butanol : Acetic acid : Water (5:1:4) shows in visible light one spot at Rf. 0.12 (grey). On exposure to Iodine vapour two spots appear at Rf. 0.12 and 0.25 (both yellow). On spraying with 5% Methanolic- Sulphuric acid reagent four spots appear at Rf. 0.12, 0.25 (both black), 0.33 and 0.62 (both grey).
CONSTITUENTS – Sugars, Tannins and Vitamins.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Kasaya
Guna : Guru, Snigdha
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Balya, Hrdya, Kaphahara, Pittahara, Vatahara, Vrsya, Tarpana, Brmhana, Sukrala
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Draksadi Curna, Óladya Modaka, Eladi Gutika, Siva Gutika (Laghu)
THERAPEUTIC USES – Srama, Daha, Gulma, Hikka, Jvara, Kasa, Murccha, Prameha, Raktapitta, Svasa, Ksaya, Ksata Ksaya, Trsna, Madatyaya, Abhighata, Mukha, Pittasula, Vairasya
DOSE – 10-15 gm.
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