STHAUNEYA (Leaf)
Sthauneya consists of dried leaf of Taxus baccata Linn. (Farn. Taxacem); an evergreen conifer, about 6.5 m high, distributed in the temperate Himalayas at altitudes between 1800-3300 m and in the hills of Meghalaya and Manipur at an altitude of 1500m.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Sukapuspa, Vikarna
Assam. : —
Beng. : Birmi, Bhirmie, Talish Patra, Bhada Getela
Eng. : Himalayan Yew
Guj. : Gethela Barmi
Hindi. : Thuner, Talispatra Bhed
Kan. : Sthauneyak
Kash. : —
Mal. : Thuriangam, Tuniyankam
Mar. : Sthauney Barmi
Ori. : Talisabhed, Chalisa Patra
Punj. : Birmi
Tam. : Talisapatri-Bhedam
Tel. : Taleesa Patri Bhedamu
Urdu. : Birmi, Zarnab
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug occurs as whole or broken leaf pieces, entire leaf flattended, linear with recurved margins, 1.3-4.0 cm long and 0.1-0.3 cm wide, tip sharp pointed and prickly, entire. thick, brown above, but paler below; petiole, very short; odour. pleasant; taste, acrid, bitter and disagreeable.
b) Microscopic
Leaf-
Lamina – shows dorsi ventral structure, margin slightly turned downward; upper epidermis single layered covered with thick, striated cuticle; lower epidermis single layered with papillate projection; sunken stomata present only on lower surface, overhung by subsidiary cells; palisade two layered; spongy parenchyma 3-5 layered. thin-walled, oval or irregular in shape, containing reddish-brown contents; vascular bundle single, present in the midrib within an endodermis.
Powder – Brown; shows fragments of reddish-brown spongy parenchyma cells and very rarely xylem tracheids, polygonal epidermal cells with striated cuticle and a few sunken stomata in surface view.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 6 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1.5 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.4
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 10 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.6
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 16 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.7
T.L.C. –
T.L.C. of the alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using n-Butanol : Acetic acid: Water (4 : 1 : 5) shows under UV (366 nm) three fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.67 (pink), 0.95 (grey) and 0.98 (pink). Under visible light shows three spots at Rf. 0.91 (pink), 0.95 (pink) and 0.98 (greenish yellow). On exposure to Iodine vapour seven spots appear at Rf. 0.08, 0.29, 0.60, 0.70, 0.82, 0.91 and 0.95 (all yellow).
CONSTITUENTS –Alkaloids – Taxine, Ephedrine, Glycoside, Tannins, Resins, Reducing Sugars and Formic Acid.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Katu, Tikta
Guna : Guru, Snigdha
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Jantughna, Kaphahara, Medhya, Vatahara, Sukravardhaka, Pittasamaka, Varna Prasadana, Lomasanjanana.
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Mahanarayanataila, Bala Taila
THERAPEUTIC USES – Rakta Vikara, Trsna, Tila Kalaka, Daha, Kustha, Krmi Roga, Pidika, Arbuda (Karkata)
DOSE – 1-3 g. of the drug in powder form.
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