VIRALA (Stem Bark)
Virala consists of dried stem bark of Diospyros exsculpta Buch. – Ham. syn. D. tomentosa Roxb. (Fam. Ebenacem), a small or occasionally large tree found distributed in sub-Himalyan tract, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Tindukah, Tinduki
Assamese : —
Bengali : Kend, Gaab
English : Gaub Persimon, Indian Persimon
Gujrati : Timbaru
Hindi : Gaabh, Tendu, Kendu
Kannada : Holitupare, Kushaarta
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Panchchi, Pananchi, Panachcha
Marathi : Temburani
Oriya : —
Punjabi : Tendu
Tamil : Panichchai, Tumbika
Telugu : Tinduki, Tumikechettu
Urdu : —
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Bark available in pieces of variable lengths, usually 1 to 1.5cm thick, light brown in colour, surface uneven with exfoliating rectangular scales, slightly curved, outer surface ash coloured, inner surface brownish, striate but smooth; fracture, granular; odour, characteristic, taste, sweet and astringent.
b) Microscopic
T.S. shows a thick portion of rhytidome; cork consists of 5 or 6 layers of tangentially elongated rectangular, dorsoventrally compressed thin walled cells, a few strongly liginified and filled with reddish brown masses; cortex consists of 4 to 6 layers of thin walled parenchymatous cells, many containing prismatic calcium oxalate crystals, measuring 20 to 70 n and starch grains about 6 to 10 n; tanniniferous cells present; phloem traversed by uniseriate medullary rays; sieve tube associated with companion cells; phloem parenchyma consists of cells with thin, dark reddish brown walls many of the cells contain calcium oxalate crystals mostly prismatic type but a few clusters also observed; patches of fibres present with a fairly large lumen; sclereids occur in groups of 8 to 10, oval to elongate in shape, measuring 45 to 175 n in length with thick striated walls, the lumen is very small often reduced to a line; pit canals present.
Powder -Ash colour, coarse; fragments of thick-walled cork cells with dense brown content; sclereids elongated and oval shaped showing pit canals with narrow lumen; calcium oxalate crystal in the form of prisms and clusters; a few yellowish tannin cells.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 15 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 1.5 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.7.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of the alcoholic extract on precoated silica gel ‘G’ (E . Merck grade) plate using Chloroform : Acetone (98 : 2) shows under UV (366 nm) two fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.88 (blue) and 0.93 (green). On spraying with Anisaldehyde – Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for five minutes at 105oC six spots appear at Rf. 0.32 (pink), 0.49 (pink), 0.56 (grey), 0.71(dark pink), 0.88 (pink) and 0.93 (pink).
CONSTITUENTS – Triterpenoids (Lupeol, Betulin, Betulinic acid, Oleanolic acid) and Sterol.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Guru, Snigdha
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Grahi, Kaphahara, Pittahara, Vranaropana, Jihvajadyakara, Savarnakara
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Nayagrodhadi Kvatha Curna
THERAPEUTIC USES – Aruci, Atisara, Bhagna, Medoroga, Prameha, Raktapitta, Udarda, Vibandha, Vrana, Yoniroga, Pittaroga, Karnasrava, Agnidagdha Vrana, Atidagdha Vrana, Trsa, Daha
DOSE – 5 – 10 g.
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