TALA (Inflorescence)
Tala consists of dried male inflorescence of Borassus flabellifer Linn. (Fam. Aracem); a tall, stout, dioecious palm tree having a height of 11.8-30 m and girth 1-2 m, bearing a terminal crown of 30-40 large fan like leaves, 90 cm – 1.6 m in width, cultivated and also found wild throughout India in the Peninsular coastal areas and in fields.
SYNONYMS
Sansk. : Lekhyapatra
Assam. : —
Beng. : Tala
Eng. : Palmyra Palm
Guj. : Tada, Tad
Hindi. : Tal
Kan. : Talimera, Oleyagida, Nelatalea Talimara
Kash. : —
Mal. : Panavirala
Mar. : Tada, Toad
Ori. : —
Punj. : Tad
Tam. : Panaimaram, Panai
Tel. : Tadi, Tati
Urdu. : Taad
DESCRIPTION
Macroscopic:
Drug available in transversely cut pieces of inflorescence, measuring upto 1 cm thick and 2.5 – 3 cm in dia., transversely cut surface shows a central axis with a number of male flowers arranged around it, external surface yellowish-grey and rough due to scales; flower unisexual, actinomorphic, sessile, arranged in a close spiral on the infloresence axis, 3-4 mm long, reddish-brown in colour; perianth consists of 6 sepals, tough, persistent, free, valvate; stamen 6, in two whorls of three each, 1-1.5 mm long, yellowish in colour; filament free, united at base into a ring; anther linear and basifixed; no smell and taste.
Powder -Reddish-brown; shows fragments of thin-walled, slightly wavy, large, oval to polygonal parenchymatous cells of perianth epidermis in surface view; numerous, simple, yellowish-orange, spherical-shaped pollen grains, measuring 16-44 n in dia., with distinct exine and intine; large brown pieces of thick-walled, single layered pollen sac, 34 layered, endothelial cells having a few small pollen grains.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.2
Total ash Not more than 7.5 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 4 Per cent, Appendix 2.2.6
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 8 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) a blue fluorescent zone at Rf. 0.93. On spraying with 5% Methanolic-Sulphuric acid and heating the plate for ten minutes at 110°C four spots appear at Rf. 0.44, 0.61, 0.73 (all light brown) and 0.93 (brown).
CONSTITUENTS – Kernels contain Galactomannan (Polysacchride)
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura
Guna : Sita, Guru, Snigdha
Virya : Sita
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Sukrala, Brmhana, Krmighna, Pittahara, Vatahara, Vrsya, Tarpaka, Sirovirecaka, Vastisuddhikara, Medakara, Vrannasaka
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Avlttoladi Bhasma (Ksara), Panviraladi Bhasma, (Tala Puspodbhaba Ksara) Guda Pippali
THERAPEUTIC USES – Raktapitta, Urahksata, Svasa, Daha, Krmi, Mutrakrcchra, Sophaghna, Vandhyakara
DOSE – 1-3 g
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