NAGAKESARA (Stamen)
Nagakesara consists of dried stamens of Mesua ferrea Linn. (Fam. Guttiferm); an evergreen tree, about 15-18 m high with short trunk, often buttressed at the base, occurring in the Himalayas from Nepal eastwards, Bengal, Assam, evergreen rain forests of North Kanara, Konkan, forests of Western Ghats and Andhra Pradesh.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Kesara, Nagapuspa, Naga, Hema, Gajakesara
Assamese : Negeshvar, Nahar
Bengali : Nageshvara, Nagesar
English : Cobras Saffron
Gujrati : Nagkesara, Sachunagkeshara, Nagchampa, Pilunagkesar,
Tamranagkesar
Hindi : Nagkesara, Pila Nagkesara
Kannada : Nagsampige, Nagakesari
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Nangaa, Nauga, Peri, Veluthapala, Nagppu, Nagappovu
Marathi : Nagkesara
Oriya : Nageswar
Punjabi : Nageswar
Tamil : Naugu, Naugaliral, Nagachampakam, Sirunagappu
Telugu : Nagachampakamu
Urdu : Narmushk, Nagkesar
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Stamen consists of anther, connective and filament; coppery or golden brown; filament united at base forming a fleshy ring; each stamen 0.9-1.9 cm long; anther about 0.5 cm long, linear, basifixed, containing pollen grains; filament 0.8 – 1.0 cm long; slender, filiform, more or less twisted, soft to touch, quite brittle; connective not visible with naked eye; odour, fragrant; taste, astringent.
b) Microscopic
Androecium – Anther shows golden-brown, longitudinally dehiscent anther wall, consisting of thin-walled, parenchymatous cells, pollen grains numerous in groups or in single, yellowish and thin-walled, many pollen grains having 1-3 minute, distinct protuberances on walls, thick-walled, exine and intine distinct.
Powder – Brown; shows elongated cells of filament, connective and numerous golden yellow pollen grains having 1-3 protuberances.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 6 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 3 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 15 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 12 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
CONSTITUENTS – Essential oil and Oleo-resin.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Ruksa, Laghu
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Urdhajatrugatarogahara, Kaphahara, Varnya, Vastivatamayghna
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Candanabalalaksadi Taila, Kumaryasava, Nagakesaradi Curna.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Raktapitta, Vatarakta, Sopharoga, Vastiroga
DOSE – 1-3 g. of the drug in powder form.
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