MATSYAKSI (Whole Plant)
Matsyaksi consists of dried whole plant of Alternanthera sessilis (Linn.) R. Br., Syn, A. triandra Lam., A. denticulata R. Br., A. nodiflora R. Br., A. repens Gmel., non Link. (Fam. Amaranthacem); a small prostrate or ascending herb with several spreading branches growing throughout the warmer parts ofthe country and frequently found in wet places especially around tanks and ponds.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Matsyagandha, Bahli, Matsyaduni, Gandali, Gartkalambuka
Assamese : —
Bengali : Sanchesak, Salincha Sak
English : —
Gujrati : Jalajambo
Hindi : Gudari Sag
Kannada : Honagonne soppu
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Kozuppa, Ponnankanni
Marathi : Kanchari
Oriya : Matsagandha, Salincha Saaga
Punjabi : —
Tamil : Ponnangkanni
Telugu : Ponnaganti Koora
Urdu : —–
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Root – Cylindrical, 0.1-0.6 cm diameter, cream to grey, numerous roots arising from the main tap root as lateral rootlets; fracture, short; no characteristic odour and taste.
Stem – Herbaceous, weak, mostly cylindrical occasionally sub-quadrangular at the apical region, with spreading branches from the base; yellowish-brown to light-brown; nodes and internodes distinct, internodes 0.5-5 cm long, often rooting at lower nodes; fracture, short; no characteristic odour and taste.
Leaf – 1.3-7.5 cm long, 0.3-2 cm wide, sometimes reaching 10 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, sessile, linear-oblong, or elliptic, obtuse or subacute; no characteristic odour and taste.
Flower – Flower in small axillary sessile heads, white often tinged with pink, bracteoles 1.2 cm long, ovate, scarious; perianth 2.5-3 mm long, sepals ovate, acute, thin, ovary obcordate, compressed, style very short, capitellate; no characteristic odour and taste.
Fruit – Utricle, 1.5 mm long, orbicular, compressed with thickened margins; no characteristic odour and taste.
b) Microscopic
Root – Shows circular outline consisting of 5-7 layered, thin-walled tangentially elongated and squarish, radially arranged cork cells; secondary cortex narrow, consistig of thin-walled, round or oval, parenchymatous cells; vascualr bundles radially arranged, numerous, consisting of thin-walled cells; xylem tissues lignified; conjunctive tissue between bundles consisting of oval, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells; anomalous secondary growth occurs in the form of succession of rings of vascular bundles which are bicollateral, open and exarch; in the pith there are two larger vascular bundles composed of xylem and phloem; pith consisting of thin-walled, round to oval, isodiametric, parenchymatous cells.
Stem – Shows single layered epidermis consisting of round or oval, thin-walled cells covered with striated cuticle; cortex 6-10 layered consisting of thin-walled oval to round, parenchymatous cells and rosette crystals of calcium oxalate measuring 55-77 n in diameter; vascualr bundles arranged in a ring, with anomalous secondary growth; with are conjoint, bicollateral, open and endarch phloem narrow consisting of thinwalled cells traversed by phloem rays; xylem consisting of usual elements traversed by xylem rays; there are two vascular bundles sittuated in the peripheral region of pith, each bundle consisting of xylem and phloem; pith distinct, composed of thin-walled, round to oval parenchymatous cells with intercellular spaces, a few parenchymatous cells contain rosette crystals of calcium oxalate.
Leaf
Midrib – shows single layered epidermis on both surfaces, covered wtith striated cuticle; collenchymatous cells, 2-4 layered towards ventral side forming 1-2 small patches, 1-2 layered towards dorsal side; parenchymatous cells, thin-walled round or oval, isodiametic cells, a few of them containing rosette crystals of calcium oxalate; vascular bundles three, each consisting of xylem and phloem, present in the centre.
Lamina – dorsiventral; shows wavy or undulate, irregular, single layered, tabular epidermis cells present on both surfaces; stomata paracytic, more on ventral side and less on dorsal side; palisade 2-3 layers; spongy parenchyma 3-4 layered of oval or irregular loosely arranged cells; a few of them containing rosette crystals of calcium oxalate; stomatal index 22-26 in lower surface and 12-20 upper surface; palisade ratio 3-5; vein-islet number 6-12 and veinlet termination number 8-10.
Powder – Olive green; shows fragments of parenchymatous cells, wavy or undulate irregular epidermal cells in surface view, paracytic stomata, palisade cells and xylem vessels with pitted and reticulate thickening and rosette 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 10 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 4.5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 3 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 19 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract of the drug on Silica Gel ‘G’ plate using Toluene :
Ethylacetate (9:1) shows in visible light three spots at Rf. 0.16, 0.33 and 0.44 (all green). Under U.V. (366 nm) five fluorescent zones visible at Rf. 0.16, 0.33, 0.44, 0.54 and 0.68 (all red). On exposure to Iodine vapour eight spots appear at Rf. 0.18, 0.25, 0.35, 0.44, 0.59, 0.81, 0.94 and 0.96 (all yellow).
CONSTITUENTS – Sugar, Saponins & Sterols
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Laghu
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Grahi, Kaphahara, Vatahara, Pitthara
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Traikantaka Ghrta.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Kustha, Pittavikara., Raktavikara
DOSE – 2 -3 g. of the drug in powder form.
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