KOKILAKSA (Root)
Kokilaksa consists of dried root of Asteracantha longifolia Nees. Syn. Hygrophila spinosa T. Anders (Fam.Acanthacem); a spiny, stout, annual herb, common in water logged places throughout the country.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Iksura, Iksuraka, Kokilaksi, Culli
Assamese : –, Kulekhara
Bengali : —
English : —
Gujrati : Ekharo
Hindi : Talmakhana
Kannada : Nirmulli, Kolavulike, Kolavankm
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Vayalculli, Nirchulli
Marathi : Talimakhana
Oriya : Koillekha, Koilrekha
Punjabi : —
Tamil : Nirmulle
Telugu : Talmakhana, Nerugobbi, Golmidi
Urdu : Talmakhana
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Roots mostly adventitions, branches on nodes, whitish to brownish; no characteristic odour and taste.
b) Microscopic
Root-Appears circular in outline, epidermis consists of rectangular to cubical, thinwalled cells; a few epidermal cells elongated to form unicellular hairs, below epidermis 3-4 compactly arranged rows of thin-walled polygonal cells of secondary cortex; secodnary cortex composed of-rounded to oval or oblong, thin-walled cells having conspicuously large intercellular spaces, most of these cells divided longitudinally and transversely with walls forming 4-6 or more chambers, the size of these cells, and the intercellular spaces gradually reduce towards inner region of secondary cortex; a few thick-walled cells found scattered singly throughout secondary cortex, inner most row of thin-walled cells of secodnary cortex comparatively smaller in size, slightly transversely elongated; secondary phloem narrow, consisting of small, thin-walled, polygonal cells, phloem fibres thick-walled occur in groups or as single cells, scattered throughout the phloem region, each group composed of 2-6 cells; secondary xylem forms continuous ring; xylem vessels usually arranged in radial rows, angular, broader towards centre, having spiral thickening, surrounded by thick-walled xylem parenchyma and xylem fibres; fibre walls uniformly thickened; multiseriate medullary rays occur from primary xylem region upto secondary cortex; uniseriate rays also present in xylem and extend upto the secondary cortex; ray cells thin-walled, radially elongated in the xylem region, rounded to transversely elongated in phloem region.
Powder – Light brown to ash coloured; shows fragments of pitted, lignified fibres; vessels with spiral thickening, unicellular hairs and a few groups of parenchymatous cells.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 12 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 4 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 8 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
CONSTITUENTS – Essential oil
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Amla, Tikta
Guna : Picchila, Snigdha
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Kaphahara, Mutrala, Vatahara, Vrsya
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Rasnairandadi Kvatha Curna, Vastyamayantaka Ghrta.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Amavata Sotha, Asmari, Vatarakta, Pittatisara
DOSE – 3 -6 g. of the drug for decoction.
Latest Govt Job & Exam Updates: