SUNTHI
Sunhti consists of dried rhizome of Zingiber officinale Roxb. (Fam. Zinglberacem), widely cultivated in India, rhizomes dug in January-February, buds and roots removed, soaked overnight-in water, decorticated, and some times treated with lime and dried.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Ausadha, Muhausadha, Nagara, Visva, Visvabhesaja, Srngavera, Visva, Visvauasadha
Assamese : Adasuth, Aadar Shuth
Bengali : Suntha, Sunthi
English : Ginger root, Ginger
Gujrati : Sunth, Sundh, Suntha
Hindi : Sonth
Kannada : Shunthi
Kashmiri : Shonth
Malayalam : Chukku
Marathi : Sunth
Oriya : Sunthi
Punjabi : Sund
Tamil : Sukku, Chukku
Telugu : Sonthi, Sunti
Urdu : Sonth, Zanjabeel
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Rhizome, laterally compressed bearing short, flattish, ovate, oblique, branches on upper side each having at its apex a depressed scar, pieces about 5-15 cm long, 1.5-6.5 cm wide (usually 3-4 cm) and 1-1.5 cm thick, externally buff coloured showing longitudinal striations and occasional loose fibres, fracture short, smooth, transverse surface exhibiting narrow cortex (about one-third of radius), a well-marked endodermis and a wide stele showing numerous scattered fibro-vascular bundles and yellow secreting cells, odour agreeable and aromatic, taste, agreeable and pungent.
b) Microscopic
Transverse section of rhizome shows cortex. of isodiametric thin-walled parenchyma with scattered vascular strands and numerous isodiametric idioblasts, about 40-80 n In diameter containing a yellowish to reddish-brown oleo-resin, endodermis slightly thick walled, free from starch immediately inside endodermis a row of nearly continuous collateral bundles usually without fibres stele of thin-walled, parenchyma cells, arranged radially around numerous scattered, collateral vascular bundles, each consisting of a few unlignified, reticulate or spiral vessels upto about 70 n in diameter, a group of phloem cells, unlignified, thin-walled, septate fibres upto about 30 n wide and 600 n long with small oblique slit, like pits, present, numerous scattered idioblasts, similar those of cortex, and associated with vascular bundles, also present, idioblasts about 8-20 n wide and up to 130 n long with dark reddish-brown contents: in single or in axial rows, adjacent to vessels, present, parenchyma of cortex and stele packed with flattened, rectangular, ovate, starch grains, mostly 5-15 n – 30-60 n long about 25 n wide and 7 n thick, marked by five transverse striations.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 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 3 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 10 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
CONSTITUENTS – Essential oil, pungent constituents (gingerol and shogaol), resinous matter and starch.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu
Guna : Laghu, Snigdha
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Anulomana, Dipana, Hrdya, Pacana, Vatakaphapaha, Asmadosahara
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Saubhagyasunhti, Trikau, Saubhagya Vati, Vaisvanara Curna
THERAPEUTIC USES – Agnimandya, Svasa, Adhmana, Amavata, Pandu, Udararoga
DOSE – 1-2 g of the drug in powder form.
Latest Govt Job & Exam Updates: