SANKHAPUSPI (Whole Plant)
Sankhapuspi consists of whole plant of Convolvulus pluricaulis Choisy (Fam. Convolvulacem); a prostrate, sub-erect, spreading, hairy, perennial herb with a woody root stock, found throughout the country.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Sankhpuspa, Sankhahva
Assamese : —
Bengali : Sankhapuspi
English : —
Gujrati : Shankhavali
Hindi : Shankhapushpi
Kannada : Bilikantisoppu, Shankhapushpi, Shankhauli
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : —
Marathi : Sankhahuli, Shankhavela, Sankhapuspi
Oriya : Sankhapuspi
Punjabi : Ksirapuspi, Sankhapuspi, Sankhahuli
Tamil : Kakattam, Kakkanangudi, Karakhuratt, Sanghupushpam
Telugu : Shankhapushpi
Urdu : —
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Root – Usually branched, cylindrical, ribbed having some rough stem nodules and small secondary roots, 1-5 cm long, 0.1-0.4 cm thick, yellowish-brown to light brown.
Stem – Slender, cylindrical, about 0.1 cm or less in thickness with clear hairy nodes and internodes; light green.
Leaf – Shortly petiolate, linear-lanceolate, acute, hairy on both surfaces; 0.5-2 cm long and 0.1-0.5 cm broad; light green.
Flower – White or pinkish; solitary or in pairs sessile or sub-sessile in the leaf axis; sepals narrowly, linear-lanceolate, sparsely hairy; corolla shortly discoid; stamen 5, free, epipetalous, alternate with the petals, inserted deep in the corolla tube; ovary superior and bicarpellary.
Fruit – Capsule, oblong globose with coriaceous, pale brown pericarp.
Seed – Brown; minutely puberulous.
b) Microscopic
Root – Appears nearly circular in outline; cork composed of 10-15 layers of tangentially elongated, thick-walled cells; cortex composed of 6-10 layers of oval to elongated, elliptical, parenchymatous cells and yellowish-brown, tanniniferous, secretory cells present in this region; phloem composed of sieve elements, phloem parenchyma and phloem rays; xylem consisting of usual elements; vessels solitary or in groups of two with simple pits; fibres and tracheids aseptate and pitted; medullary rays 1-3 cells wide and multicellular in length; starch grains solitary or in groups, simple and composed of 2-3 components, round to oval in shape, measuring 3-8 n in dia., present in cortex, phloem, xylem rays and parenchyma.
Stem – Shows single layered epidermis, covered with thick cuticle; at places unicellular hairs present; cortex differentiated in two zones, 2-3 upper collenchymatous and 1-2 lower parenchymatous layers, both having round to oval, elongated, thin- walled cells; endoderrnis single layered; pericycle present in the form of single strand of fibres; phloem a narrow zone, mostly composed of sieve elements and parenchyma; xylem consists of vessels, fibres and parenchyma; medullary rays and tracheids not distinct, vessels mostly solitary with spiral thickening; fibres aseptate having pointed ends and narrow lumen; strand of internal phloem present around the slightly lignified pith.
Leaf–
Midrib – appears convex in lower and concave in upper side; epidermis single layered, covered with thick cuticle; lower epidermis followed by 2-3 layers of chlorenchymatous cells; vascular bundle bicollateral, composed of usual elements of phloem and xylem; rest of tissue between chlorenchyrna and vascular bundles composed of 4-5 layers of parenchymatous cells.
Lamina – shows epidermis on both surfaces covered with thick cuticle; hairs unicellular, present on both surfaces, palisade two layered, spongy parenchyma 4-5 layered; a few bicollateral vascular bundles present in spongy parenchyma; palisade ratio 6-9; vein islet number 21-25 per sq. mm. , stomatal index in lower surface 17-20 and in upper surface, 13.8-17.0; stomatal number in lower surface 184-248, and in upper surface 202-238 per sq. mm.
Powder – Light yellowish-green; shows groups of vessels with spria1 thickening and simple pits, fibres and tracheids, simple and compound starch grains, measuring 3 – 8 n in dia., unicellular hairs, mesophyll cells and gives positive test for tannin.
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 8 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 6 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 10 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
CONSTITUENTS – Alkaloid
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Sara
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Balya, Ayusya, Kaphahara, Medhya, Pittahara, Rasayana, Mohanasaka
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Brahmi Ghrta, Agastyaharitaki, Rasayana, Brahma, Rasayana, Manasmitra Vataka, Gorocanadi Vati, Brahmi Vai
THERAPEUTIC USES – Manasaroga, Apasmara
DOSE – 3-8 g. of the drug in powder form
Note: In certain parts of India, Clitoria ternatea Linn. and Evolvulus alsinoides Linn. are used as Sankhapuspi
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