KOLA (Steam Bark)
Kola consists of dried stem bark of Zizyphus mauritiana Lam. Syn Z. jujuba Lam. (Fam Rhamnacem); a small, evergreen sub-deciduous tree, wild and also extensively cultivated throughout the country and found on Himalayan region upto about
1370 m.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Koli, Badara, Badari, Karkandhu
Assam. : Bagori, Bayur
Beng. : Kula
Eng. : Jujube
Guj. : Bor
Hindi. : Desi Ber
Kan. : Boehannumara
Kash. : —
Mal. : Lanta
Mar. : Bor
Ori. : Borakali
Punj. : Desi ber
Tam. : Ilandai
Tel. : Regi, Regu
Urdu. : Ber
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Bark available in pieces of variable length, usually 0.6 – 1 cm thick, external surface, blackish-grey, hard, rough due to deep furrows and fissures, exfoliating in irregular scales exposing inner brownish-red fibrous zones; no taste or odour
b) Microscopic
Stem bark shows a thick portion of rhytidoma, made up of about 25 – 30 alternate bands of cork and dead cells of secondary cortex and secondary phloem, cork consists of thin-walled, rectangular, about 5-6 layered, crushed, parenchymatous cells, mostly filled with dark brown pigment; secondary cortex consists of round, oval and crushed rectangular cells; groups of stone cells, fibres and prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate scattered throughout rhytidorna; secondary phloem consists of sieve elements, phloem fibres, crystal fibres, phloem parenchyma, a few stone cells and phloem rays; phloem fibres arranged in alternate bands with phloem parenchyma, phloem parenchyma consists of rectangular, thin-walled cells, a few contain prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate; crystal fibres present, divided into numerous chambers, each containing single prismatic crystal of calcium oxalate; phloem rays uniseriate to biseriate, upto 10 cells high, consists of round, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells; stone cells, mostly rectangular, occur associated In groups of 2-4 with bands of phloem fibres.
Powder – Reddish-brown; shows fragments of cork cells, phloem fibres with wide lumen and pointed tips, crystal fibres, phloem rays, rectangular stone cells and prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 13 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 15 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.4
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 6 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.6
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 6 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.7
T.L.C. –
T.L.C. of the alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Chloroform: Methanol (95 : 5) shows under U.V. (366 nm) a fluorescent zone at Rf. 0.84 (light blue). On exposure to Iodine vapour two spots appear at Rf. 0.80 and 0.84 (both yellow). On spraying with Dragendorff reagent followed by 5% Methanolic-Sulphuric acid a spot appears at Rf. 0.84 (orange).
CONSTITUENTS – Tannins and Alkaloids.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Kasaya
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Stambhana, Vranasodhana, Visphotasamani
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Nyagrodhadi Kvatha Curna
THERAPEUTIC USES – Tvaka, Raktatisara, Vrana
DOSE – 3-5 g. (Powder).
10-2- g. (Decoction).
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