NILI (Whole Plant)
Nili consists of dried whole plant of Indigofera tinctoria Linn. (Fam. Fabacem); a shrub, 1.2-1.8 m high, found nearly throughout the country and widely cultivated in many parts of the country.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Nilini,Nilpuspa, Kalkesi
Assam. : Nilbam
Beng. : Nil
Eng. : Indigo Plant
Guj. : Nil, Gali
Hindi. : Nili
Kan. : Kadu Nili, Nili
Kash. : —
Mal. : Avuri, Amari
Mar. : Nili, Neel
Ori. : —
Punj. : Neel
Tam. : Avuri
Tel. : Nili, Kondannili
Urdu. : Neel
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Root – Tap root having lateral roots, pale yellow to light yellowish-brown, hard, woody, cylindrical, nearly smooth except for a few having scattered lenticels; odour, not distinct; taste, slightly bitter.
Stem – Pieces woody, hard, slender, cylindrical, 0.1 to 1.5 cm in dia., surface, smooth, lenticels present; yellowish-green to greyish-brown in colour; no characteristic odour and taste.
Leaf – Compound, imparipinnate; leaflets, 1-5 cm long and 0.3-1.2 cm wide, oblong or oblanceolate with short mucronate tip; pale green to greenish-black; no characteristic odour and taste.
Flower – Numerous in nearly sessile spicate racemes, 10.0 cm long; calyx 1.2-1.5 mm long, hairy outside, teeth triangular, acute, as long as tube; corolla pink, papilionaceous, 4 mm long, back of standard petal pubescent, stamen 10, diadelphous; ovary sessile, linear, downy; stigma capitate.
Fruit – Pod nearly cylindrical. straight or slightly curved, apiculate, 2-3.2 cm long and 0.15-0.2 cm in dia., having 8-12 seeds; smooth, brown to dark brown.
Seed – Somewhat quadrangular with truncate ends, 0.2 cm long and 0.1 cm wide, smooth, yellowish-brown to greenish-brown in colour.
b) Microscopic
Root – Shows a narrow zone of cork, consisting of 4-10 layers of tangentially elongated, rectangular, thin-walled cells, with lenticels; secondary cortex a narrow zone, consisting of rectangular to polygonal, thin-walled cells containing rhomboidal to hexagonal crystals of calcaim oxalate; and groups of fibres; secondary phloem composed of usual elements; secondary xylem consisting of xylem parenchyma, vessels, fibres and rays; fibres large aseptate with pointed end; vessels solitary or 2-4 in groups having simple pits; medullary ray 1-4 cells wide; prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate present in secondary cortex, phloem, xylem parenchyma and rays; oil globules present in cortex and phloem parenchyma; starch grains simple, round to oval, measuring 3-11 n in dia. present in cortex, phloem, xylem parenchyma and rays. .
Stem – Young stem furrowed and ridged in outline; epidermis single layered, 5-10 layers of collenchymatous cells present in ridges; mature stem shows 5-15 layers of tangentially elongated, rectangular, thin-walled cork cells, broken by lenticels, a few upper rectagular cells filled with reddish-brown contents; secondary cortex consists of 5-7 layers of oval to elliptical, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells, pericycle a discontinuous ring of fibres; secondary phloem and secondary xylem composed of usual elements; xylem traversed by rays; vessels solitary or 2-7 in radial rows, isolated vessels show spiral thickening and simple pits; fibres having narrow lumen and pointed ends; tracheids pitted; crystal fibres 4-12 chambered; each containing lor 2 prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate; pith occupied by isodiametric, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells; a few cells of secondary cortex, phloem and pith contain brown coloured substances; prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate and simple starch grains measuring 3-6 n in dia. found in secondary cortex, phloem and xylem parenchyma, pith and rays.
Leaf –
Petiole – appears nearly circular in outline having two lateral wings; epidermis single layered, covered externally with thin cuticle and followed internally by single layered collenchymatous hypodermis; unicellular hairs scanty’ to moderate with blunt tip; cortex 4-6 layered, consisting of oval to polygonal, elongated, thin-walled chlorenchymatous cells; pericycle scanty, present in the form of continuous or discontinuous ring; vascular bundle collateral and three in number; large one present in centre and two smaller in lateral wings; pith composed of rounded to oval, thin-walled parenchymatous cells; a few prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate present in phloem and pith region.
Midrib – shows a similar structure of epidermis, cuticle and hairs as in petioles;lower and upper epidermis followed by single and 2 or 3 layers of collenchymatous hypodermis respectively; parenchyma 2 or 3 layered, present on both sides; vascular bundle single, collateral, crescent-shaped, present centrally.
Lamina – shows a dorsiventral structure; epidermis, cuticle and hairs as in petiole and midrib; palisade 2 layered; spongy parenchyma 2-4 layered; a few patches of veins scattered between palisade and spongy parenchyma; a few prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate present in mesophyll cells; stomata paracytic and unicellular hairs present on both surface but abundant on lower surface; palisade ratio not more than 4; stomatal index 18-40 on lower surface and 10-16 on upper surface; vein islet number 15-18.
Fruit – Shows single layered epicarp; mesocarp 7-8 layered, more or less elliptical, tangentially, elongated, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells, a few upper cells contain reddish brown content; vascular bundle present in the mesocarp region towards both ends, covered by sclerenchymatous sheath; endocarp present in the form of 3-5 layers of sclerenchymatous cells.
Seed – Shows a single layered, radially elongated, thin-walled, palisade-like cells, covered externally by a thin cuticle and internally, followed by a single layer of bearer cells; beneath bearer cells 2-4 tangentially elongated elliptical, thin-walled parenchymatous cells present; cotyledons consists of oval to angular, elongated, thinwalled parenchymatous cells.
Powder – Yellowish grey; shows aseptate fibres, vessels with spiral thickening and simple pits; groups of mesophyll cells, unicellular hairs; pieces of hexagonal, straight walled, epidermal cells in surface view; prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, rarely oil globules, and simple, rounded to oval, starch grains measuring 3-11 n in dia.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 5.2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1.0 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.4
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 2.5 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.6
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 7.5 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.7
T.L.C. –
T.L.C. of the alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using n-Butanol : glacial Acetic acid: Water (5 : 1: 4) in visible light shows three spots at Rf. 0.38, 0.75 and 0.88 (all grey). On exposure to Iodine vapour seven spots appear at Rf. 0.15, 0.38, 0.50, 0.59, 0.67, 0.75 and 0.88 (all yellow). On spraying with 5% Methanolic-sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate at 110°C for ten minutes nine spots appear at Rf. 0.15, 0.25, 0.38, 0.50, 0.59, 0.67, 0.75, 0.84 and 0.88 (all grey).
CONSTITUENTS – Glycoside (Indican).
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta
Guna : Sara
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Jantughna, Kaphahara, Kesya, Vatahara, Visaghna, Recani
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Nilikadya Taila, Gorocanadi Vati
THERAPEUTIC USES – Vata Rakta, Udararoga, Pliharoga, Krmiroga, Moha, Bhrama, Udavarta, Kativata, Kasa, Amaroga, Visodara, Jvara, Ksaya, Krmidanta.
DOSE – 10-20 g. of the drug for decoction.
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