SAKHOTAKA (Stem Bark)
Sakhotaka consists of stem bark of Streblus asper Lour. (Fam. Moracem); an evergreen, rigid gnarled tree upto 15 m high and 1.5 m in girth, having a bole of 4-7 m distributed in the Himalayas from Himachal Pradesh to West Bengal and in hills and plains of Assam and Tripura, ascending to an altitude of 450 m; also occurs both in the peninsular India upto 600 m, especially in drier parts, and in Andamans.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Sakhota, Pitaphalaka, Bhutavasa, Kharacchada
Assam. : —
Beng. : Sheoda
Eng. : Sand Paper Mulberry
Guj. : Sahoda
Hindi. : Sahora, Sihoda, Sihar
Kan. : Mittlamara
Kash. : —
Mal. : Pirayan, Pirai
Mar. : Sahod, Karvatee
Ori. : Sahod
Punj. : Shebda
Tam. : Pirayan pirai
Tel. : Berrenka, Barninka
Urdu. : Sehoda
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Mature stem bark occurs in channelled pieces; thickness varies from 0.3-1 cm; outer surface light grey to silvery brown with faint ridges and a number of lenticels making the surface quite rough; inner surface smooth and brownish in colour; fracture, tough, brittle on the outer portion and fibrous in the inner portion; no taste and odour.
b) Microscopic
Shows a cork consisting of 4-10 layers of thin-walled, rectangular and tangentially arranged cells; cork cambium single layered; secondary cortex Consists of 3-4 layers of thin-walled, somewhat rectangular or circular to polygonal cells; a number of stone cells present either in singles or in groups in tangential bands; stone cells of two types, one having thick-walled and narrow lumen while the other having comparatively thinner wall and wider lumen; they vary in shape, being rectangular, oval, circular to conical, each with simple pits on their walls and radiating canals; secondary phloem consists of sieve elements, parenchyma, phloem fibres and stone cells, traversed by phloem rays; phloem parenchyma thin-walled, circular to oval in shape, phloem fibres moderately thick-walled and lignified with wide lumen, occurring in singles or in groups and radially arranged; stone cells similar to those present in cortical region, occur throughout the phloem; phloem rays thin-walled, rectangular and radially elongated in transverse section, a few ray cells also converted into stone cells; prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate occur throughout the tissues of bark.
Powder – Light-grey; shows, phloem fibres, thick and thin-walled stone cells and a large number of oblique, rectangular, prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 15 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 2 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 12 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 UV (366 nm) six fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.11, 0.18 (both light blue), 0.28 (pink), 0.36 (blue), 0.41 (pink) and 0.93 (blue). On exposure to Iodine vapour eight spots appear at Rf. 0.11, 0.28, 0.41, 0.52, 0.60, 0.76, 0.86 and 0.93 (all yellow). On spraying with Vanillin-Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for ten minutes at 110°C seven spots appear at Rf. 0.11, 0.28 (both light brown), 0.36, 0.41, 0.52, 0.76 (all light violet) and 0.93 (dark brown).
CONSTITUENTS – Glycosides, Saponins and Sapogenins.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Sothahara, Medohara, Vataslesmahara
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Brhanmanjisthadi Kvatha Curna
THERAPEUTIC USES – Raktapitta, Arsa, Slipada, Apaci, Prameha, Kustha, Gandamala.
DOSE – 1-3 g. (Powder).
10-20 g. (for decoction).
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