PALASA ( Flower)
Palasa consists of dried flower of Butea monosperma (Lam.) Kuntze, Syn. B. frondosa Koeing ex Roxb. (Fam. Fabacem), an erect deciduous tree 12 to 15 m high with crooked trunk and irregular branches, commonly found throughout the greater part of the country upto about 915 m altitude.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Kimsuka, Brahma Vrksa
Assamese : Palash
Bengali : Palas, Palash Gaccha
English : Flame of the Forest
Gujrati : Khakharo, Kesuda
Hindi : Dhak, Tesu, Paras
Kannada : Muttug, Muttulu
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Palashinsamatha
Marathi : Kakracha, Palas
Oriya : Porasu, Kijuko
Punjabi : Tesh
Tamil : Purasu
Telugu : Modyga Puvvu
Urdu : Dhak (Tesu)
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug available in about 3.0 to 4.5 cm long racemes of orange to yellow coloured flowers; bracts and bracteoles small, pedicels about twice as long as the calyx, densely brown-velvety; calyx 0.8 to 1.2 cm long, sepals 5, campanulate, densely velvety outside, clothed with silky hairs within; corolla about 2.0 to 7.0 cm long, petals 5, polypetalous, unequal keel, clothed outside with silky silvery hairs, orange or salmon coloured, keel semicircular, beaked, veined; stamens 10, diadelphous, anthers 2 celled; carpel superior unilocular; style one and stigma one.
b) Microscopic
Pedicel – Shows more or less wavy outline, single layered epidermis covered with thick cuticle, unicellular, 2 or 3 celled trichomes, followed by ground tissue consisting of 6 to 8 celled, thin-walled, oval to polygonal parenchymatous cells; endodermis single layered; vascular bundle radially arranged, collateral, consisting of usual elements.
Sepal – Shows single layered epidermal cells, uniseriate, multicellular trichomes and club shaped secretory ducts present on lower surface, epidermis followed by 3 or 4 layered, thin-walled, loosely arranged parenchymatous cells on both surfaces, thin walled, wavy epidermal cells showing on the surface view.
Petal – Shows single layered, thin-walled, epidermal cells, covered with numerous, unicellular, pointed trichomes and a few glandular hairs; thin-walled, capitate or cone shaped papillm present on both surface; mesophyll consisting of thin-walled, loosely arranged, parenchymatous cells; a large number of larger and smaller vein found scattered in this region, some of the cells contain a few of oil globules.
Powder – Yellowish-brown; shows fragments of parenchyma, epidermis with stomatal cells; numerous, pointed, multicellular trichomes and a few oil globules.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 7 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 7 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 alcoholic extract of the drug on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using n-Butanol Acetic Acid: Water (4:1:5) shows in visible light six spots at Rf. 0.42 (light brown), 0.48 (brown), 0.58 (yellow), 0.82 (brown), 0.88 (yellow) and 0.96 (light brown). On spraying with phosphomolybdic acid reagent and heating the plate at 105oC for about ten minutes nine spots appear at Rf. 0.08 (blue), 0.19 (blue), 0.32 (blue), 0.42 (blue), 0.48 (yellow), 0.58 (blue), 0.82 (yellow), 0.88 (blue) and 0.96 (blue). On spraying with 5% Methanolic- Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate at 105oC for about fifteen minutes seven spots appear at Rf. 0.19 (light red), 0.32 (light red), 0.42 (light red), 0.58 (red), 0.82 (red), 0.88 (red) and 0.96 (grey).
CONSTITUENTS – Glycosides and Flavonoids
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Katu, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa, Sara
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Trsnasamaka, Dipana, Grahi, Kaphahara, Pittahara, Vatahara, Rakta Stambhana, Mutrala, Kustaghna, Sandhaniya, Dahaprasamana
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Kunkumadi Taila, Vanga Bhasma (Jarana(b))
THERAPEUTIC USES – Arsa, Daha, Grahani, Gulma, Krmi, Kustha, Meha, Mutrakrcchra, Raktapitta, Raktavikara, Trsa, Vata Rakta, Grathi, Pliharoga, Netrasula, Kandu
DOSE – 3-6 gm of drug in powder form.
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