PALASA (Gum)
Palasa consists of dried gum exuding from natural cracks and artificial incisions in the stem bark of Butea monosperma (Lam.) Kuntze Syn. B. frondosa Koen. ex Roxb. (Fam.
Fabacem), a medium sized tree with somewhat crooked trunk, 12 to 15 m high with irregular branches commonly found throughout greater parts of the country upto 915 m altitude.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Kimsuka, Triparna
Assamese : Palash
Bengali : Palas
English : Flame of forest, Bengal Kino
Gujrati : Khakharo, Kesudo
Hindi : Dhak, Palas, Teshu
Kannada : Mattuga, Muthuga
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Palashu
Marathi : Palas
Oriya : —
Punjabi : Dhak
Tamil : Purasu
Telugu : Moduga, Modugu
Urdu : Dhak (Tesu)
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug occurs in pieces, flattish, brittle, perfectly transparent, smooth and shining, ruby red to dark brown; buff coloured pieces of bark attached; no peculiar odour; taste, astringent.
b) Microscopic
Angular fragments, opaque in transmitted light; shows plants debris form thickwalled rectangular cork and polygonal, thin-walled cortex, and phloem parenchymatous cells, depved from the parent plant.
Identification: It dissolves partially in boiling alcohol and freely, almost completely, in cold water, forming. a milky solution; when treated with 5% aqueous solution of perchloride of iron (Ferric chloride) it gives greyish-green precipitate and with lead acetate gives white precipitate.
Fluorescence: Colour of 5% aqueous solution light brown in day light and greyish green in U.V. light (366 nm); colour of 5% alcoholic solution reddish-brown in daylight, and light green in U.V. light (366 nm).
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 3 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 69 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 63 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of the alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using n-Butanol : Acetic acid: Water (5:1:4) shows in visible light six spots at Rf. 0.30, 0.42, 0.67, 0.74, 0.84 and 0.92 (all yellowish brown). Under U.V. (366 nm) three blue fluorescent zones are visible at Rf. 0.74, 0.84 and 0.92. On exposure to Iodine vapour eight spots appear at Rf. 0.07, 0.23, 0.30, 0.42, 0.67, 0.74, 0.84 and 0.92 (all yellow). On spraying with 5% MethanolicSulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for about ten minutes at 110oC eight spots appear at Rf. 0.07, 0.23, 0.30, 0.42, 0.67, 0.74, 0.84 and 0.92 (all violet).
CONSTITUENTS – Anthocyanins and Tannins.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Sara, Snigdha
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Slesmahara, Dipana, Vatahara, Vrsya, Bhagnasandhanakrt
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Bala Taila
THERAPEUTIC USES – Arsa, Grahani, Gulma, Krmi Roga, Gudaroga, Asthibhagna, Vrana, Pliha Roga.
DOSE – 0.5 to 1.5 gm.
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