NIRGUNDI (Leaf)
Nirgundi consists of dried leaf of Vitex negundo Linn. (Fam. Verbenacem); a large aromatic shrub or a small tree, upto 4.5 m in height, common throughout the country ascending to an altitude of 1500 m in the outer Himalayas. It is common in waste places around villages, river banks, moist localities and in the deciduous forests.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Sinduvara, Samphalika, Nila
Assam. : Aslak
Beng. : Nirgundi, Nishinda
Eng. : Five Leaved Chaste tree
Guj. : Nagod
Hindi. : Nirgundi, Sinduar, Sambhalu
Kan. : Lakkigida, Nekkigida
Kash. : —
Mal. : Indranee, Nirgundi
Mar. : Nirgundi
Ori. : —
Punj. : Sambhalu, Banna
Tam. : Karunochchi, Nocchi
Tel. : Nallavavilli, Vavili
Urdu. : Sambhalu, Panjangusht
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Leaves palmately compound, petiole 2.5 – 3.8 cm long; mostly trifoliate, occasionally pentafoliate; in trifoliate leaf, leaflet lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, middle leaflet 5- 10 cm long and 1.6 -3.2 cm broad, with 1- 1.3 cm long petiolule, remaining two sub-sessile; in pentafoliate leaf inner three leaflets have petiolule and remaining two sub-sessile; surface glabrous above and tomentose beneath; texture, leathery.
b) Microscopic
Petiole – shows single layered epidermis having a number of unicellular, bicellular and uniseriate multicellular covering trichomes and also glandular trichomes with uni to tricellular stalk and uni to bicellular head; cortex composed of outer collenchymatous tissue and inner 6 – 8 layers of parenchymatous tissue; collenchyma well developed in basal region and gradually decreases in middle and apical regions; pericyclic fibres absent in basal region of petiole and present in the form of a discontinuous ring in apical region surrounding central horse shoe-shaped vascular bundle; a few smaller vascular bundles present ventrally between arms of central vascular bundle and two, or rarely three, bundles situated outside the arms.
Lamina – shows single layered epidermis having mostly unicellular hairs, bi and multicellular and glandular trichomes being rare; hypodermis 1 – 3 layered interrupted at places by 4- 8 palisade layers containing chlorophyll; a large number of veins enclosed by bundle sheath traverse mesophyll; stomata present only on the ventral surface, covered densely with trichomes; vein-islet and vein termination number of leaf are 23-25 and 5-7 respectively.
Powder – shows number of pieces or whole, uni-bi and multicellular covering trichomes, glandular trichomes, palisade tissues with hypodermis, and upper and lower epidermis, xylem vessels with pitted walls.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 8 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.4
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 10 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.6
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 20 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.7
T.L.C. –
T.L.C. of the alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Toluene: Ethylacetate (9:1) shows under U.V. (366 nm) two fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.18 (blue) and 0.47 (red). On exposure to Iodine vapour four spots appear at Rf. 0.16, 0.47, 0.67 and 0.91 (all yellow). On spraying with Vanillin-Sulphuric acid reagent and on heating the plate for ten minutes at 105° C four spots appear at Rf. 0.07, 0.47, 0.58 and 0.67 (all blue).
CONSTITUENTS – Alkaloids and Essential Oil.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Laghu
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Kesya, Kaphasamaka, Vatasamaka, Sophahara, Caksusyam Visaghna, Smtriprada, Anulomna
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Vatagajankusa Rasa, Mahavata Vidhvansana Rasa, Ykrplihara Lauha, Dasamula Taila, Trivikrama Rasa, Nirgundi Taila, Tribhuvan Kirti Rasa,
Visa Tinduka Taila.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Sula, Sopha, Vatavyadhi, Amavata, Kustha, Kandu, Kasa, Pradara, Adhmana, Piha Roga, Gulma, Aruci, Krmi, Vrana, Nadi Vrana, Karnasula, Sutika, Jvara
DOSE – 10-20 ml. (Swarasa).
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