PADMAKA (Heart Wood)
Padmaka consists of heart wood of Prunus cerasoides; D. Don (Fam. Rosacem); a middle or large sized tree, found in temperate Himalayan region from Garhwal to Sikkim upto an elevation of 910-1820 m.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Padmagandhi, Pitarakta
Assam. : Diengsoh-iog-Krems
Beng. : Padmakastha
Eng. : Biyd Cherry
Guj. : Padmakastha, Padmaka
Hindi. : Padmakha, Padma Kastha, Paja
Kan. : Padmaka
Kash. : —
Mal. : Pathimukam
Mar. : Padmakastha, Padmaka
Ori. : —
Punj. : Pajja
Tam. : Padmakashdham
Tel. : Padmakashtham
Urdu. : —
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug available in variable pieces, yellowish-brown to orange, to which some whitish portion of sap wood still attached; heavy, dense, moderately hard and very strong, odour, very faint; no taste.
b) Microscopic
Mature heart wood consisting of vessels, fibres, tracheids and xylem parenchyma traversed by xylem rays; vessels lignified, moderately thick-walled, reticulate thickening, fairly large, with bordered pits having an oval-shaped, lateral perforation at each end, measuring, upto 220 n in length and upto 68 n in width; fibres occur mostly in groups, usually found associated with other xylem elements, moderately thick-walled, narrow lumen, pointed at both ends, 55-137 n long; tracheids usually thick-walled, lignified, elongated cells; xylem parenchyma composed of thick-walled, found associated with vessels and fibres, oval to elongated, polygonal cells; xylem rays uni to multiseriate, uni and biseriate more common, multiseriate, generally 3-6 cells wide, 40-50 cells high; cut materials, when treated with ferric chloride solution turn the yellow pigments blue or black, indicating tannin
Powder – Reddish-brown; shows fragments of abundant groups or single pointed fibres measuring 55-137 n in length, moderately thick-walled, fairly large vessels with reticulate thickening and bordered pits, thick-walled, lignified tracheid cells, pieces of ray cells and xylem parenchyma cells.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 1 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 3 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.6
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 1 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 UV (366 nm) a fluorescent zone at Rf. 0.64 (blue). On exposure to Iodine vapour seven spots appear at Rf. 0.15, 0.32, 0.42, 0.53, 0.59, 0.64 and 0.76 (all yellow). On spraying with Vanillin-Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for ten minutes at 105°C four spots appear at Rf. 0.15, 0.32, 0.53 and 0.59 (all violet).
CONSTITUENTS – Flavonoids.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Laghu
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Garbhasthapana, Rucya, Vatala
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Khadiradi Gutika, Guducyadi Kvatha Curna, Brhacchagatadya Ghrta, Satavaryadi Ghrta, Guducyadi Taila, Usirasava, Candanasava, Dasamularista, Mrtasanjivani Sura, Karpuradhyarka
THERAPEUTIC USES – Visphota, Daha, Kustha, Raktapitta, Vami, Trsa, Bhrama, Visarapa
DOSE – 1-3 g. (Curna).
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