MASURA (Seed)
Masura consists of dried seed of Lens culinaris Medic. (Fam. Fabacem), a small,
erect, pubescent herb, 15-75 cm high, cultivated throughout north India, particularly in
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, and to a smaller extent in
Punjab. Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Supya, Pittabhesaja
Assam. : —
Beng. : Masuri
Eng. : Lentil
Guj. : Masura, Masoor, Masur
Hindi. : Masur
Kan. : Masura Bele
Kash. : —
Mal. : Chanam payar, Vattupparupu
Mar. : Masur, Massora
Ori. : —
Punj. : Masur, Masara
Tam. : Masoor Paruppu
Tel. : Masura Pappu, Masooralu
Urdu. : Masur
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Seed lens-shaped, smooth, about 4 mm thick, greyish-brown and faintly mottled, cotyledons pink; taste, characteristic.
b) Microscopic
Seed testa consists of a single layer of epidermis composed of palisade-like cells, columnar and sclerenchymatous, with a tiny projection and shows a light, transparent line; below this, a single layer of hypodermis consisting of beaker or dumbbell shaped cells present; testa followed by cotyledons, consisting of a thin layer of upper and lower epidermis covered with a thin layer of cuticle; epidermis made up of rectangular cells oriented along their long axis; below epidermis, mesophyll consists of thin-walled, rounded or oval shaped, parenchymatous cells, generally filled with simple, round to oval, starch grains many with striations showing a fissured hilum; mostly measuring between 30-40μ in dia.
Powder – Cream coloured; shows black particles due to pieces of testa; fragments of thick-walled, elongated, oval to polygonal cells of testa and a few sclerenchymatous cells in surface view; irregular, wavy palisade-like cells, and simple, round to oval, starch grains upto 40 μ in dia., with striations and a fissured hilum.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 3 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 0.5 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 10 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.7
T.L.C. –
T.L.C. of the alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using n-Butanol : Acetic acid: water (4:1:5) shows on exposure to Iodine vapour six spots at Rf. 0.11, 0.40, 0.44, 0.50, 0.65 and 0.80 (all yellow). On spraying with Ninhydrin reagent and heating the plate for about ten minutes at 110°C seven spots appear at Rf. 0.11, 0.18, 0.24, 0.33, 0.44, 0.50 and 0.65 (all pink).
CONSTITUENTS – Flavonoids and Vitamins.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Kasaya
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Balya, Kaphapittasamaka, Sangrahi, Varnya, Vatamayakara
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS –
THERAPEUTIC USES –Atisara, Muttrakrcchra, Jvara, Raktapitta
DOSE – 10-20 g.
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