SIGRU (Stem Bark)
Sigru consists of dried stem bark of Moringa oleifera Lam. Syn. M. pterygosperma Gmrtn. (Fam. Moringacem), a small or medium sized tree, indigenous to the sub-Himalayan tract, found wild in lower Himalayas and cultivated all over the plains of India, for its leaves and fruits used as vegetables.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Sobhanjana, Bahola, Sakhapatra
Assamese : —
Bengali : Sajina, Sajne
English : Horse Radish Tree, Drum-stick Tree,
Gujrati : Saragave
Hindi : Sahijana
Kannada : Nugge, Nuggemara, Nuggekoyimara
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Muringya, Murinna
Marathi : Shewga
Oriya : Munga, Munika, Sajana
Punjabi : Sohajana
Tamil : Murungai
Telugu : Munaga chettu, Mulaya Chetta
Urdu : Sahajan, Sohanjana
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Mature bark, rough, deeply cracked, grey or dark green; young bark, greenish to greenish-brown, 1 to 3 cm thick or more, depending upon the age of plant; taste, bitter and pungent.
b) Microscopic
Cork region very wide, composed of 15 to 20 layers, thin-walled, radially arranged, rectangular cells with coloured contents; cork cambium consists of a single row of thin-walled, rectangular or tangentially elongated cells; secondary cortex very wide, composed of nearly cubical to rectangular, thin-walled parenchymatous cells containing a few rosette and cubical, rhomboidal or hexagonal crystals of calcium oxalate; several groups of thick walled, lignified, elongated to polygonal stone cells with striations and wide as well as narrow lumen present; a few small, simple, round to oval, starch grains measuring 5 to 14 n in dia., with concentric striations and hilum, and a few oil globules scattered in cortical region; secondary phloem consists of thin-walled, oval to polygonal parenchyma, fibres, and phloem rays; phloem parenchyma cells adjoining the sclerenchyma cells containing small rhomboidal or cubical crystals of calcium oxalate and many large lysigenous mucilage cavities filled with mucilage; groups of lignified fibres form nearly concentric, discontinuous zones, separated by phloem rays; rays many, 2 or 3 seriate, occasionally uniseriate; towards the inner phloem regions they are radially elongated but, become tangentially elongated in the outer phloem; most of the cells loaded with simple, starch grains and crystals of calcium oxalate.
Powder – Light brown, fragments of thin-walled, polygonal, sometimes rectangular cork cells; groups or single, thick-walled, lignified, elongated to polygonal stone cells with striations and lumen; a few rhomboidal, rosette crystals of calcium oxalate; a few oil globules; a very small, numerous, simple, oval to round, starch grains measuring 5 to 14 n in dia., with concentric striations and narrow hilum; pieces of phloem parenchyma, lignified phloem fibres and ray cells.
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 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ using Chloroform : Methanol (85:15) shows under U.V. (366nm) a fluorescent zone at Rf. 0.97 (blue). On exposure to Iodine vapour five spots appear at Rf. 0.15, 0.22, 0.49, 0.81 and 0.97 (all yellow). On spraying with 5% Methanolic- Phosphomolybdic acid reagent six spots appear on heating the plate at 105oC for about fifteen minutes at Rf. 0.15, 0.22, 0.49, 0.66, 0.81 and 0.97 (all grey).
CONSTITUENTS – Sterols and Terpenes.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Katu, Tikta
Guna : Laghu, Picchila, Ruksa, Sara, Tiksna
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Sophaghna, Sukrala, Caksusya, Dipana, Hrdya, Kaphaghna, Rocana, Samgrahi, Visaghna, Vidahakrt, Vataghna, Sirovirecanopaga, Pittotklesaka
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Sarasvata Ghrta, Vastyamayanaka Ghrta, Karpasasthyadi Taila, Ksara Taila, Visatinduka Taila, Khanda Lavana, Sarsapadi Pralepa, Sveta Karavira Pallavadya Taila
THERAPEUTIC USES – Aksiroga, Apaci, Arsa, Bhagandara, Gulma, Krmi, Medoroga, Vidradhi, Pliha Roga, Hrdya Roga, Galaganda, Vrana Sotha, Drsti Roga, Sarvapida Nivarani
DOSE – Stem Bark juice 10-20 ml.Stem Bark Powder 2-5 gm.
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