SIMSAPA (Heart Wood)
Simsapa consists of dried heart wood of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. (Fam. Fabacem), a medium sized, deciduous tree, found in western Himalayas upto 1220 m altitude and from Sikkim to upper Assam, and extensively planted throughout the country.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Krsana Sara, Syama
Assam. : —
Beng. : Shishu
Eng. : Sissoo Tree
Guj. : Sisam
Hindi. : Seesam
Kan. : Eragundimavu, Bindi
Kash. : —
Mal. : Irupoola
Mar. : Sisu, Shisav
Ori. : Sisu, Sinsapa
Punj. : Sheesham
Tam. : Irupoolai
Tel. : Irugudu, Virugudu, Sissoo
Urdu. : Sheesham
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug consists of pieces of wood of variable lengths and widths, brown, very hard and strong; close-grained, annual ring not distinct, rays fine, pores uniformly distributed joined by wavy concentric bands; fracture hard and tough.
b) Microscopic
Heart wood shows well developed xylem, consisting of usual elements, vessels simple pitted, solitary or 2-3 in groups, arranged in radial rings, a few contain reddishbrown content; parenchyma thick walled and paratracheal; medullary rays 1-3 cells wide; fibres abundant in numbers and present in groups alternating with the bands of xylem parenchyma.
Powder – Brown; under microscope shows fibres, tracheids and parenchymatous cells.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Identification –
Fluorescence test on aqueous and alcoholic extracts
i) 5 g. extracted in 100 ml of water and filtered shows in day light – light-brown colour; under U.V. light (366 nm) greenish-brown, and under U.V. light (254 nm) yellowishgreen.
ii) 5 g. extracted in 100 ml of alcohol and filtered shows in day light – darkbrown colour; under U.V. light (366 nm) dark-brown, and under U.V. light (254) dark-brown.
Foreign matter Not more than 1 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 0.1 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 7 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.7
T.L.C. –
T.L.C. of the alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Toluene: Ethylacetate (7: 3) in visible light shows nine spots at Rf. 0.14, 0.19, 0.27 (all grey), 0.52 (yellow), 0.56, 0.62, 0.70, 0.75 and 0.86 (all grey. Under UV (366 nm) five fluorescent zones appear at Rf. 0.19 (yellowish blue), 0.27, 0.42 (both light blue), 0.52 and 0.70 (both blue). On spraying with 5% Methanolic-sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for ten minutes at 110°C eleven spots appear at Rf. 0.19(orange), 0.27, 0.30 (both grey), 0.36 (yellowish grey), 0.47 (grey), 0.52 (green), 0.56 (grey), 0.62 (light green), 0.70 (grey), 0.86 (geen) and 0.88 (grey).
CONSTITUENTS – Fixed Oil, Essential Oil, Tannins and Flavonoids.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Guru, Picchila
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Kaphahara, Medohara, Pittahara, Vatahara, Varnya, Kaphavisosna, Medovisosana, Sukradosahara, Saiya, Rucikara Gabrhapatini Sosahai Pipana
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS –Ayaskri, Narasimiha Ghrta, Mahakhadira Ghrta
THERAPEUTIC USES – Kustha, Krmi, Daha, Svitra, Vrana, Mutrasarkara, Basti Roga, Hikka, Prameha, Arsa, Jvara, Gulma, Asmari, Atisara, Rakta Vikara, Sosa, Sopha, Pandu, Chardi, Pinasa, Dusta Vrana, Vasameha, Sarvajvara
DOSE – 5 -10 g. of the drug in powder form.
10 -20 g. for decoction.
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