SVETACANDANA (Heart Wood)
Svetacandana consists of dried heart wood of Santalum album Linn. (Fam. Santalacem), an evergreen, semi parasitic tree, 8 to 18 m in height and 2 to 4 m in girth, widely distributed in the country, commonly found in the dry regions of peninsular India from Vindhya mountains southwards, especially in Karnataka and Tamilnadu; it is cultivated for its aromatic wood and oil.
SYNONYMS
Sansk : Srikhanda, Svetacandana
Assam : Sandale Avyaj
Beng : Chandan
Eng : Sandal Wood
Guj : Sukhad
Hindi : Chandan, Safed Chandan
Kan : Shrigandhamara, Shrigandha, Chand
Kash : —
Mal : Chandanam
Mar : Chandan
Ori : —
Punj : Chandan
Tam : Chandana maram, Sandanam, Ingam
Tel : Gandhapu Chekka, Manchi Gandham, Tella Chandanam, Sriga
Urdu : Sandal Safed
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Yellowish-brown to pale-reddish orange, heavy, dense, hard but split easily; transversely smooth surface shows alternating light and dark concentric zones with numerous pores, traversed by very fine medullary rays; odour, persistently aromatic; taste, slightly bitter.
b) Microscopic
Wood consists of tracheids, vessels, fibres, xylem parenchyma and traversed by medullary rays; vessels numerous scattered singly throughout the region, rarely two together, barrel-shaped, pitted and with transverse to oblique pen oration with tail-like projections, at one or both ends; a few tracheids elongated with tapering ends and possess bordered pits on their walls; fibres many, lignified with pointed tips; xylem parenchyma mostly rectangular, a few of them contain prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate; xylem rays numerous, run straight, uni to triseriate, mostly biseriate, thickwalled, radially elongated having golden yellow to brownish contents and contain a few prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate.
Powder – Light-brown and aromatic; shows pitted vessels with tails, isolated or associated with fibres, fragments of fibres, square to rectangular-shaped parenchyma, prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, and numerous oil globules.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 1 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.3
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 0.2 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.4
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 8 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.6
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 1 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.7
Volatile Oil Not less than 1.5 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.10
T.L.C. –
T.L.C. of the alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Toluene: Ethylacetate (93 : 7) shows on exposure to Iodine vapour six spots at Rf 0.05, 0.10, 0.27 (all yellowish brown), 0.60 (dark brown), 0.82 and 0.91 (both yellowish brown). On spraying with Anisaldehyde-Sulphuric acid reagent- and heating the plate for about ten minutes at 1I0dC six spots appear at Rf. 0.05, 0.10, 0.27 (all bluish violet), 0.60 (violet). 0.82 and 0.91 (both bluish violet).
CONSTITUENTS – Volatile oil (α- and β- Santalol)
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Tikta
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Hrdya, Krmighna, Kaphahara, Pittahara, Vrsya, Varnya, Visghna, Durgandhahara, Dahaprasamana, Trsnahara
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Ayaskrti, Asvagandhadyarista, Sarvivadyasava, Arimedadi Taila, Baladhatryadi Taila, Marma Gutika, Candanasava, Candanadi Curna, Candanadi Taila.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Sosa, Daha, Raktapitta, Raktarsa, Hikka, Vamana, Rakta Tisara, Pradara, Sukrameha, Netra Roga, Mutraghata, Bhrama, Raktavikara, Krmi Roga.
DOSE – 3-6 g. of the drug in powder form.
Latest Govt Job & Exam Updates: