RAMASITALIKA (Whole Plant)
Ramasitalika consists dried whole plant of Amaranthus tricolor Linn.; Syn. A. gangeticus Linn.; A. melancholicus Linn. A. polygamus Linn. Hook. f., A. tristis Linn.; (Fam. Amaranthacem), an erect, diffuse, stout, annual herb, found throughout the country.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Marisarakta, Aramasitalika
Assam. : —
Beng. : Lal Shak
Eng. : —
Guj. : Tandaljo (Lal)
Hindi. : Lal Marsa
Kan. : Dantu, Harave Soppu, Dantina Soppu, Chikkarive
Kash. : —
Mal. : Aramaseetalam
Mar. : Mash
Ori. : —
Punj. : Lal Marsa Sag
Tam. : Mulaikkeerai
Tel. : Erra Tatakura
Urdu. : —
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Root -Tap root, cylindrical, yellowish, 0.3-0.5 cm thick, with a few secondary roots and numerous rootlets.
Stem – Stem cylindrical with longitudinal ridges and furrows, branched, light greenishyellow, 0.2-0.4 cm thick; fracture, short.
Leaf – Leaf simple, 5-12 cm long, 2.5-7 cm wide, very variable in shape, rhomboidovate, lanceolate or deltoid-ovate, obtuse, petiolate, membranous.
Flower – Flowers clustered in the axils and forming a long terminal, more or less interrupted spike; bracteole 3 mm long, lanceolate, membranous, perianth 4 mm long; sepals 3, white with pinkish tinge, stamens three, anthers dorsifixed.
Seed – Seed 1.5 mm in dia., biconvex, smooth, shiny black.
b) Microscopic
Root – Shows cork consisting of 3-6 rows of thin-walled cells, a few outer layers exfoliating; secondary cortex consisting of 6-11 rows of tangentially elongated, tabular, thin-walled parenchymatous cells, a few of them containing microsphenoidal crystals of calcium oxalate; secondary phloem arranged in continuous ring, consisting of thinwalled cells; phloem parenchyma cells containing microsphenoidal crystals of calcium oxalate; secondary xylem arranged in the form of a ring, beneath which there are scattered vascular bundles consisting of xylem and phloem; vascular bundles, situated in the centre are comparatively larger; ground tissue consisting of thin-walled, parenchymatous cells, a few cells containing microsphenoidal crystals of calcium oxalate.
Stem – Shows many thick-walled, oval to polygonal, collenchymatous cells present in the ridges seen in outline; epidermis single layered with tabular cells under a thickcuticle; cortex differentiated into 3-9 layered, thick-walled, tangentially elongated, chlorenchyma cells having a few microsphenoidal crystals of calcium oxalate; vascular bundles collateral arranged in a concentric band consisting of phloem and xylem elements; inside the band, in the ground tissue a number of conjoint vascular bundles found scattered; ground tissue consisting of oval or round, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells, these cells are smaller toward periphery and larger towards centre, a few of these cells contain microsphenoidal crystals of calcium oxalate.
Leaf-
Petiole – Shows two notches which are lateral in position, epidermis single layer, followed by, 1 or 2 layers ventrally and 1 to 7 layers dorsally of collenchyma; rest of the cortex consisting of thin-walled parenchymatous cells, a few of them containing microsphenoidal crystals of calcium oxalate; vascular bundles arc-shaped in three separate patches, elongated in the notches central one nearly circular, each consisting of xylem and phloem.
Midrib – Shows single layered epidermis on both surfaces, followed by 1-2 layered collenchyma; rest of the cortex consisting of thin-walled, parenchymatous cells a few of them containing rnicrosphenoidal crystals of calcium oxalate; vascular bundles 4 in number in basal region and single in number towards apical region.
Lamina – Shows single layered epidermis on both surfaces; upper epidermal cells, thinwalled, oval to polygonal, with a few uni-to bicellular pointed hairs, sinuous walls and a few stomata in surface view; lower epidermal cells composed of thin-walled cells oval to polygonal, having a number of rosette crystals of calcium oxalate and a few microsphenoidal crystals of calcium oxalate; walls sinuous, stomata both anomocytic and anisocytic type; palisade parenchyma 2 or 3 layered; spongy parenchyma 3 or 4 layered consisting of circular, irregularly arranged cells
Powder -Light green; shows lignified vessels with spiral thickening, rosette and microsphenoidal crystals of calcium oxalate, fragments of irregular, sinuous, polyhedral, thin-walled, parenchymatous epidermal cells and palisade cells, anomocytic and anisocytic type of stomata.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 17 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 2.6 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 17 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 U.V. (366nm) four fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.05, 0.17, 0.34 and 0.40 (all pink). On exposure to Iodine vapour five spots appear at Rf. 0.17, 0.34, 0.40, 0.56 and 0.98 (all yellow). On spraying with 5% Methanolic-Phosphomolybdic acid reagent and heating the plate at 105°C for ten minutes three spots appear at Rf. 0.17, 0.56 and 0.98 (all violet).
CONSTITUENTS – Fatty Oils, Sitosterol, Calcium and Magnesium.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Tikta
Guna : Kincit Guru, Ruksa, Sara
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Pittahara
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Candrakala Rasa
THERAPEUTIC USES – Daha, Sosa, Visphota, Vrana
DOSE – 10-20 ml of the drug in juice form.
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