STHULAILA (Seed)
Sthulaila consists of dried seed of Amomum subulatum Roxb. (Fam. Zingiberacem); a herb with leafy stem and perennial root stock; cultivated in swampy places along the sides of mountain streams in Bengal and Assam.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Bhadra, Bhadraila
Assamese : —
Bengali : Baara aliach
English : Greater or Nepal cardamom
Gujrati : Elaicho, Mothi Elichi
Hindi : Bari elachi
Kannada : Dodda Yalakki, Nepdi Elakki
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Valiya Elam, Perelam
Marathi : Mothi Elayachi
Oriya : Bada aleicha, Aleicha
Punjabi : Budi Eleichi
Tamil : Periya Elam, Bermlam, Kattu Elam
Telugu : Pedda Elakulu
Urdu : Badi Elaichi, Heel Kalan
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Seed 0.4 cm long, 0.3 cm wide, irregularly ovoid with 3 flattened face covered externally with a colourless, membraneous aril; brown to dark brown; odour, aromatic; taste, spicy pungent.
b) Microscopic
Seed -Shows a very thin membraneous aril composed of several layers of collapsed cells containing oil globules and prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate; testa consists of single layered epidermis of rectangular cells followed by 1-2 layers of collapsed, thin-walled parenchymatous cells, beneath this a single layered large rectangular cells containing oil globules present, which is internally surrounded by several layers of flattened, thin walled, parenchymatous cells; perisperm consists of polygonal, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells containing round to oval starch grains measuring 2-5 n in dia., and cluster crystals of calcium oxalate; perisperm surrounded externally by thick-walled, sclerenchymatous, radially elongated dark brown beaker cells; perispenn encloses the endosperm and embryo, both composed of polygonal, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells, rich in protein.
Powder – Light brown; shows fragments of testa, polygonal, thin-walled, perisperm cells, oil globules, rarely cluster crystals of calcium oxalate, rounded to oval, simple, starch grains measuring 2-5 n in diameter.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 4 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 5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 14 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
Volatile oil Not less than 1 v/wper cent, Appendix 2.2.10
CONSTITUENTS – Volatile Oil (rich in Cineole).
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa, Tiksna
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Dipani, Kaphahara, Vatahara, Rocaka, Mukhasodhaka, Angamardaprasamana
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Sarivadyasava, Karpuradyarka, Kalyanaka Ghrta, Vastyamayantaka Ghrta, Manasamitra Vataka.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Svasa, Kasa, Mukharoga, Trsna, Chardi, Hrllasa, Kandu.
DOSE – 0.5 -1 g. of the drug in powder form.
Note – Cluster crystals of calcium oxalate are present in Sthulmla (Amomum subulatum Roxb.(Seed), while absent in Suksamaila (Elettaria cardamomum Maton. (Seed).
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