SAPTAPARNA
Saptaparna consists of stem bark of Alstonia scholaris (Llnn.) R. Br. (Fam. Apocynacem), a tall evergreen tree, found in the Sub-Himalayan tracts ascending to 900 m from Jammu eastwards and western peninsula mostly in deciduous forests.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Saptacchada, Saptaparni, Saptahva
Assamese : Chatiyan
Bengali : Chatin
English : Dita
Gujrati : Saptaparna, Satvana
Hindi : Chhativan, Satawana
Kannada : Maddale, Hale, Eleyalaga
Kashmiri : Kath
Malayalam : Daivaphal, Ezilampala
Marathi : Satveen
Oriya : Chbatiana, Chatiana
Punjabi : Sathi, Satanna
Tamil : Ezilampalai
Telugu : Edakula Ponna
Urdu : —
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Bark occurs in channelled or occasionally quilled pieces, 3-4mm thick from branches and cut or broken irregularly into curved or flat pieces, about 7 mm thick from stem, externally younger bark dark grey to brown, older bark very rough, uneven and much fissured transversely and longitudinally, both marked with numerous rounded or transversely elongated, grey to whitish brown lenticels, internally brownish-buff to dark greyish-brown, somewhat striated and indented, fracture, short and smooth, fractured surface shows a narrow, inner portion traversed by numerous, fine, medullary rays and a varying spongy outer portion
b) Microscopic
Transverse section of bark shows a multi-layered, thick and thin-walled cork, a broad zone of secondary cortex composed of thin-walled, parenchymatous cells, including many rounded latex cavities, scattered throughout tissue, containing numerous rhombic to polygonal calcium oxalate crystals, numerous stone cells forming a noncontinuous layer of 4-8 cells, irregular, rounded to linear, fibre-like, blunt at both ends, internal to secondary cortex a secondary phloem cells containing many sieve tubes, cork cells brick shaped to almost square in transverse and longitudinal sections and polygonal in surface view, cork cambium forms a region of two rows of cells identical to cork cells, situated in between cork and secondary cortex, secondary phloem cells smaller in dimension than cortical cells consisting of phloem parenchyma, many sieve tubes and companion cells, fibres absent.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 11 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 3 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 4 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 12 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
ASSAY
Assay-Contains not less than 0.2 per cent of total alkaloids when assayed by the following method:-
Take 25 g in No. 60 mesh powder. Transfer to a continuous extraction apparatus and extract with 90 per cent Alcohol for 4 hours (at least 3 extractions are essential). Remove the solvent and transfer to a separating funnel with the help of a little water and 5 ml of 95 per cent Alcohol. Add about 15 ml of Water and 2 ml of solution of 20 percent Sodium Hydroxide to make the solution alkaline and extract with successive quantities of Chloroform till the extraction of alkaloid is complete. Shake the combined Chloroform extract with successive quantities of a mixture of 4 volumes of 0.2 N Sulphuric Acid and 1 volume of Alcohol until complete extraction of alkaloid is effected. Wash the mixed acid solution twice with 10 ml portion of Chloroform and then twice with 10 ml portion of Ether. Wash the combined Chloroform and Ether solution with 20 ml of 0.1 N Sulphuric acid. Transfer this washed acid extract to the original acid extract, make distinctly alkaline with solution of Sodium Hydroxide and shake with successive portions of chloroform till the extraction of the alkaloids is complete. Wash the combined chloroform solution with about 5 ml of water. Remove most of the chloroform and transfer the remainder to a small open dish. When the removal of chloroform is almost complete on water bath, add about 2 ml Dehydrated Alcohol and evaporate to dryness. Dry at 100o to constant weight and weigh as total alkaloids.
CONSTITUENTS – Alkaloids (echitamine, ditamine and echitamidine).
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Sara, Snigdha
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Anulomana, Dipana, Jvaraghna, Kushaghna, Raktasodhaka, Tridosaghna
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Amrtarisa, Aragvadhadi Kvatha Curna, Vajraka Taila.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Sula, Gulma, Jvara, Krmiroga, Kustha, Sandrameha
DOSE – 20-30 g of the drug for decoction.
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