KOKILAKSA (Whole Plant)
Kokilaksa consists of dried whole plant of Asteracantha longifolla 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
Assamese : —
Bengali : Kuliyakhara, Kulekhade
English : —
Gujrati : Ekharo
Hindi : Talmakhana
Kannada : Kolavali, Kolarind, Kolavankal
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : –, Culli, Nirchulli, Vayalculli
Marathi : Talikhana, Kalsunda
Oriya : —
Punjabi : —
Tamil : Golmidi, Kettu, Nirguvireru, Nerugobbi
Telugu : —
Urdu : Talmakhana
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Root – Mostly adventitious, whitish to brown; no characteristic odour and taste.
Stem – Usually unbranched, fasciculate, sub-quadrangular, swollen at nodes, covered with long hairs which are numerous at the nodes, externally greyish-brown, creamishbrown in cut surfaces; no characteristic odour and taste.
Leaf – Greenish-brown, 1-7 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide, subsessile, lanceolate, acute, entire and hairy.
Flower – Yellowish-brown, usually occurring in apparent whorls of eight (in 4 pairs) at each node; bracts about 2.5 cm long, with long white hairs; calyx 4-partite, upper sepal 1.6-2 cm long, broader than the other three, which are 1.3 cm long, all linear-lanceolate, coarsely hairy on the back and with hyaline ciliate margins; corolla 3.2 cm long, widely 2 lipped, tube 1.6 cm long, abruptly swollen at top; stamens 4, didynamous, second pair larger; filament quite glabrous; anthers two celled, subequal, glabrous; ovary two celled with 4 ovules in each cell; style filiform, pubescent; stigma simple, involute with a fissure on upper side.
Fruit – Two celled, linear-oblong, compressed, capsule about 0.8 cm long, pointed, 4- seeded.
Seed – Ovate, flat or compressed, truncate at the base, 0.2-0.25 cm long and 0.1 – 0.15 cm wide, hairy but appearing smooth; when soaked in water immediately get coated with mucilage, light brown; taste slightly bitter and odour not distinct.
b) Microscopic
Root – Root shows a single layered epidermis of thin-walled, rectangular to cubical, parenchymatous cells having unicellular hairs; secondary cortex composed of round to oval or oblong, thin-walled cells having large intercellular spaces; most of these cells divided longitudinally and transversely with walls forming 4-6 or more chambers; size of these cells and intercellular spaces gradually reduce towards the inner region, where these cells are mostly radially elongated, arranged in radial rows, a few thick-walled cells found scattered singly throughout secondary cortex; secondary phloem narrow consisting of small, thin-walled, polygonal cells; phloem fibres thick-walled, occur in groups of 2-6 or singles, scattered throughout the phloem region; secondary xylem forms continuous ring; vessels angular, broader towards centre, arranged radially having spiral thickenings, surrounded by thick-walled parenchyma and xylem fibres; fibre walls uniformly thickened; multi and uniseriate medullary rays occur from primary xylem region upto secondary cortex; ray cells thin walled, radially elongated in xylem region, circular to transversely elongated in phloem region.
Stem – Shows somewhat sub-quadrangular outline; cork consists of 5-10 rows of rectangular, radially arranged, moderately thick-walled, brownish cells; collenchyma 4-8 layered consisting of isodiametric cells; a few thick-walled, isolated cells found scattered in this zone; cortical cells thin-walled, round, oblong, variable in size, with a number of large air cavities; a special feature of these cells is the formation of tangential and radial walls within the cell dividing it into 4-5 or more parts; most of cells contain numerous acicular crystals of calcium oxalate; endodermis single layered, composed of transversely elongate, thin-walled cells; phloem narrow, consisting of round to polygonal cells, peripheral ones larger, inner cells smaller; fibres thick-walled, single or in groups of 2-3, some cells contain calcium oxalate crystals similar to those found in cortical cells; xylem present in a ring; vessels with spiral thickenings, arranged radially; fibres elongated with wide lumen and pointed tips, medullary rays uni to multi seriate extend upto secondary cortex; ray cells thin-walled, radially elongated in secondary xylem, transversely elongated in secondary phloem; pith large, composed of polygonal, thin-walled parenchymatous cells, having small intercellular spaces; a few cells contain calcium oxalate crystals similar to those found in secondary cortex.
Leaf Midrib – Shows concavo-convex outline; epidermis on either surface covered with thick cuticle; collenchyma 2-5 layered; stele composed of small strands of xylem and phloem having some groups of fibre; rest of tissues composed of thin-walled, parenchymatous cells, a few of them containing acicular crystals of calcium oxalate ; cystolith present beneath upper and above the lower epidermal cells.
Lamina – Shows epidermis single layered on either surface, composed of thin-walled, parenchymatous, tangentially elongated cells, covered with thick cuticle; stomata diacytic, 1-5 celled hairs present on both surfaces; palisade 1-2 layered; spongy parenchyma composed of 3-5 layered, loosely arranged cells traversed by a number of veins; palisade ratio 6.25-15.75; stomatal index 17.24-30.78; vein islet number 17-42.
Fruit – Shows single layered epidermis covered with striated cuticle followed by 5-10 layered, thick-walled, oval to hexagonal, lignified, sclerenchymatous cells.
Seed – Shows hairy testa composed of thin-walled, tangentially elongated cells covered with pigmented cuticle; embryo composed of oval to polygonal, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells containing oil globules.
Powder – Light brown; shows aseptate, elongated fibres; vessels with simple pits and spiral thickening; palisade, acicular crystals of calcium oxalate, unicellular hairs and globules.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 9 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 20 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
CONSTITUENTS – Alkaloids
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Amla, Tikta
Guna : Picchila, Snigdha
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Balya, Mutrala, Rucya, Vajikara, Vrsya, Santarpana
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Panaviraladi Bhasma (Ksara).
THERAPEUTIC USES – Trsna, Amavata Sotha, Vatarakta.
DOSE – 3 -6 g. of the drug in powder form.
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