VACA (Rhizome)
Vaca consists of dried rhizome of Acarus calamus Linn. (Fam. Aracem); a semiaquatic herb, wild or cultivated throughout the country ascending upto 1800 m in the Himalayas.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Ugragandha, Ugra, Sadgrantha
Assamese : —
Bengali : —
English : The Sweet Flag
Gujrati : Ghoduvaj, Ghodvach
Hindi : Bach, Gora-bach
Kannada : Baje, Narru Berua
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Vayambu
Marathi : Vaca, Vekhandas
Oriya : —
Punjabi : Varch, Ghodavaca
Tamil : Vasambu, Pillai maruntho
Telugu : Vasa
Urdu : Waja-e-Turki
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug occurs in simple or rarely with thumb-like branches at nodes; sub cylindrical to slightly flattened, somewhat tortuous or rarely straight, cut pieces of 1-5 cm long, and 0.5-1.5 cm thick; upper side marked with alternately arranged, large, broadly, triangular, transverse leaf scars which almost encircle the rhizome; at nodes leaf sheath mostly having an appearence present; lower side shows elevated tubercular spots of root scars; light-brown with reddish-tinge to pinkish externally, buff coloured intemally; fracture, short; odour, aromatic; taste, pungent and bitter.
b) Microscopic
Rhizome – Shows single layered epidermis; cortex composed of spherical to oblong, thin-walled cells of various sizes, cells towards periphery, smaller, somewhat collenchymatous, more or less closely arranged cells towards inner side, rounded and form a network of chains of single row of cells, enclosing large air spaces, fibro-vascular bundles and secretory cells having light yellowish-brown contents, present in this region; endodermis distinct; stele composed of round, parenchymatous cells enclosing large air spaces similar to those of cortex and several concentric vascular bundles arranged in a ring towards endodermis, a few vascular bundles scattered in ground tissues; starch grains simple, spherical, measuring 3-6 n in dia., present in cortex and ground tissue.
Powder – Buff coloured; shows fibres, reticulate, annular vessels and simple spherical starch grains, measuring 3-6 n in diameter. Observation of powder and its extracts on exposure under UV light :-
a. Powder as such: – Yellowish-cream
b. Extracts in
i. Petroleum ether-No change
ii. Chloroform-Light green
iii. Methanol-Yellowish green
iv. Benzene-No change
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 7 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 9 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 16 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
Volatile oil Not less than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.10
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract of the drug on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Toluene:
Ethylacetate (9:1) shows two spots at Rf. 0.14 (violet) and 0.73 (violet) on spraying with Vanillin-Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for ten minutes at 105°C.
CONSTITUENTS – Volatile Oil (principal constituents of the Volatile oil are Asamyl alcohol, Eugenol and Asarone), also contains a bitter principle Acorin (Glucoside), Starch and Tannin.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta
Guna : Laghu, Tiksna
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Dipani, Krmihara, Kanthya, Kaphahara, Medhya, Vatahara, Mala M utravisodhani, Vamak
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Vacadi Taila, Vaca Lasunadi Taila, Sarasvata, Curna, Sarasvata Rista, Manasmitra Vataka, Candra Prabha Vati, Khadiradi Vati, Hinguvacadi Curna.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Sula, Apasmara, Svasa, Kasa, Vibandha, Unmada, Adhmana, Karna Srava, Smrti daurbalya.
DOSE – 60 -120 mg of the drug in powder form.
1- 2 g. of the drug in powder form for inducing vomiting.
Note: Sodhana of Vaca is to be done before internal use.
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