RAKTACANDANA (Heart Wood)
Raktacandana consists of heart wood of Pterocarpus santalinus Linn. f. (Fam. Fabacem); a medium sized, deciduous tree upto 10-11 m high and 1.5 m in girth, mostly found in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring area of Chennai and Karnataka at an altitude of 150-900 m.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Raktanga, Ksudracndana, Raktasara
Assam. : Sandale, Sandal Ahmar
Beng. : Raktachandana
Eng. : Red Sanders, Red Sandal Wood
Guj. : Ratanjali, Lalchandan
Hindi. : Raktachandanam, Lalchandana
Kan. : Raktha Chandanam
Kash. : —
Mal. : Rakta Chandanam
Mar. : Rakta Chandana
Ori. : —
Punj. : Lal Chandan
Tam. : Senchandanam
Tel. : Erra Chandanamu
Urdu. : Sandal Surkh
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug occurs as irregular pieces, deep blood-red to dark purplish-red or almost black, hard, but can be easily split, odourless; taste, slightly astringent.
b) Microscopic
Heart wood shows alternating bands of darker and lighter zones; vessels large, mostly isolated and connected by fine, bright red rays, consisting of xylem parenchyma; prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate occur in a few celIs; red colouring matter present in a number of cells of vessels and other cells; fibres abundant; xylem rays mostly uniseriate.
Powder – Red or purplish-red; shows a number of fibres, vessels and xylem parenchyma cells and prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Identification –
Fluorescence test on aqueous and alcoholic extracts :-
i) 5 g. powder extracted in 100 ml of water and filtered shows in day light – pale yellow to brownish-red colour; under U.V. light (366 nm) emerald green, and under U.V. light (254 nm) light green.
ii) 5 g. powder extracted in 100 ml of alcohol and filtered shows in day light brownish – redcolour; under U.V. light (366 nm) reddish -brown, and under U.V. light (254) yellowish-green colour.
Foreign matter Not more than 2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 0.3 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 in visible light a spot at Rf. 0.37 (light pink). Under U.V. (366 nm) five fluorescent zones are visible at Rf. 0.07 (blue), 0.13 (grey), 0.3e (blue), 0.37 (grey), and 0.57 (blue). On exposure to Iodine vapour eight spots appear at Rf. 0.07, 0.13, 0.16, 0.26, 0.37, 0.43, 0.74 and 0.80 (all yellow). On spraying with Vanillin-Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for ten minutes at 110°C seven spots appear at Rf. 0.04 (violet), 0.07, 0.13 (both light violet), 0.37, 0.43 (both violet), 0.74 and 0.80 (both light violet).
CONSTITUENTS – Glycosides, Colouring Matter.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Tikta
Guna : Guru, Ruksa
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Pittahara, Vrsya, Visaghna, Netraroga
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Candana Bala Laksadi Taila, Candanadi Lauha
THERAPEUTIC USES – Chardi, Trsna, Raktadosahara, Tvara, Vrana
DOSE – 3-6 g. of the drug (powder).
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