PALASA (Stem Bark)
Palasa consists of dried stem bark of Butea monosperma (Lam.) Kuntze (Fam. Fabacem); a medium sized tree with somewhat crooked trunk, 12 – 15 m high with irregular branches, commonly found throughout the greater part of the country upto about 915 m, except in very arid parts.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Kimsuka, Raktapuspaka
Assamese : —
Bengali : Palash Gachha, Palash, Palas
English : Bastard peak
Gujrati : Kesudo, Khakharo, Khakhapado
Hindi : Dhak, Tesu
Kannada : Muttug, Muttuga, Muttala
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Plasu, Camata, Plas, Chama Tha
Marathi : Palas
Oriya : —
Punjabi : Palash, Dhak, Tesu
Tamil : Purasu, Paras
Telugu : Moduga, Modugu, Chettu
Urdu : Dhak, Palaspapda
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Mature stem bark, 0.5 – 1 cm thick, greyish to pale brown, curved, rough due to presence of rhytidoma, and scattered dark brown spots of exudate; rhytidoma 0.2 cm thick usually peels off, exposing light brown surface, exfoliation of cork and presence of shallow longitudinal and transverse fissures; fracture, laminated in outer part and fibrous in inner part; internal surface rough, pale brown; taste, slightly astringent.
b) Microscopic
Stem Bark -Mature bark shows rhytidoma consisting of alternating layers of cork, secondary cortex and phloem tissue; cork cells, thin-walled, 5-10 or more layered, rectangular, dark-brown; secondary cortical cells round and irregular in outline, dark brown, moderately thick-walled; tanniniferous cells, often in groups, having brown colour, sometimes containing mucilage and other materials found scattered in this zone; beneath this zone regular cork consisting of 4-12 rows of radially arranged, rectangular cells followed by a zone of 2 – 4 layers of sclereids; secondary phloem consisting of sieve tubes, companion cells, phloem parenchyma, phloem fibres, crystal fibres, traversed by phloem rays; in outer and middle phloem regions phloem tissues get crushed and form tangential bands of ceratenchyma; phloem fibres arranged in tangential bands alternating with sieve tubes and phloem parenchyma; most of fibre groups contain prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate forming crystal sheath; in macerated preparation phloem fibres appear thick-walled lignified elongated with tapering or bifurcated ends; crystal fibres divided into a number of chambers containing a prismatic crystal of calcium oxalate in each chamber; phloem rays multiseriate 4 – 12 cells wide, 7 – 50 cells in height, straight; prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate found scattered in the secondary phloem tissues and phloem rays; starch grains simple or compound having 2 – 3 components, measuring 2.75 – 13.75 n in dia., found scattered in phloem parenchyma and phloem ray cells abundantly; tanniniferous cells and secretory cavities also occur in secondary phloem.
Powder – Reddish-brown; shows numerous prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, starch grains simple and compound with 2 – 3 components measuring 3-14 n in dia., dark brown coloured cells, sclereids mostly in groups, thin-walled cork cells, numerous crystal fibres in group or singles
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 12 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1.5 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 14 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract of the drug on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Toluene :
Ethylacetate (90: 10) under U.V. (366 nm) shows four fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.10, 0.18, 0.48, 0.65 (all blue). On exposure to Iodine vapour three spots appear at Rf. 0.10, 0.48 and 0.67 (all yellow). On spraying with Vanillin-Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for about ten minutes at 105°C three spots appear at Rf. 0.10, 0.48 and 0.67 (all violet).
CONSTITUENTS – Kinotannic acid and Gallic acid.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Sara, Snigdha
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Vrsya, Kaphavatasamaka, Agnidipaka, Saraka
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Palasa Ksara, Nyagrodhadi Kvatha Curna, Mahanarayana Taila.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Arsa, Grahani, Gulma, Vrana, Krmiroga.
DOSE – 5-10 g. of the drug in powder form for decoction.
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