MONOGRAPHS OF HERBAL DRUGS ACCORDING TO

AYURVEDIC PHARMACOPOEIA OF

INDIAPRESENTED BY : MANISH KUMAR (M. PHARM)

DEPARTMENT : PHARMACEUTICAL ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION :

The Ayurvedic system of medicine is prevalent in India since the vedic period and as early as the dawn of human civilization. Though Ayurveda has undergone many changes in the course of its long history, it still remains the mainstay of medical relief to a large section of population of the nation. In view of the new trend in Ayurvedic pharmaceutical field, Government of India considered its expedient to utilize the existing Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, to also control to a limited measure the Ayurvedic , Siddha and Unani drugs by amending the Act.

1.Asvagandha

Asvagandha consists of dried mature roots of Withania somnifera (Fam.Solanaceae), a perennial shrub, found in waste land, cultivated field and open grounds throughout India, widely cultivated in certain areas of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, roots collected in winter, washed and cut into short pieces.

SYNONYMS:

Sanskrit : Hayagandha, VajigandhaAssamese : AshvagandhaBengali : AshvagandhaGujrati : AsgandhaHindi : AsgandhKannada : Angarberu, Hiremaddina-gidaKashmiri : AsagandhMalayalam : AmukkuramMarathi : Asagandha, AskagandhaOriya : AswagandhaPunjabi : Asgandh

DESCRIPTION:

a)Macroscopic

Roots straight, unbranched, Thickness varying with age. Roots bear fibre -like secondary roots, Outer surface buff to grey-yellow with longitudinal

wrinkles, Crown consists of 2-6 remains of stem base, Stem bases variously thickened, Nodes prominent only on the side from where petiole

arises, Odour, characteristic, Taste, bitter and acrid.

b) MicroscopicTransverse section of root shows cork exfoliated or crushed, when present isodiametric and non-lignified, cork cambium of 2-4 diffused rows of cells, secondary cortex about twenty layers of compact parenchymatous cells, phloem consists of sieve tubes, companion cells, phloem parenchyma, cambium 4-5 rows of tangentially elongated cells, secondary xylem hard forming a closed vascular ring separated by multiseriate medullary rays, a few xylem parenchyma

IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH

a) Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent,

b) Total Ash Not more than 7 per centc) Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1

percentd) Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less

than 15 percent.e) Water-soluble extractive Nil

ASSAY:Aswagandha consists of not less than 0.2 per cent of total alkaloids, when assayed as follows:

Take about 30g accurately weighed of the powdered drug, cover with Alcohol (90 percent) and allow to stand overnight.

Extract for 6 hours so wet apparatus and concentrate to a syrup residue.

Treat with 25, 20, 15 and 10 ml portions of 5 per cent Sulphuric Acid until complete extraction of alkaloid is affected.

To the combined acid extracts add an excess of Dragandoff's reagent.

Filter under suction and dissolve the residue in Acetone, Shake the acetone solution with freshly prepared suspension of 2ml Silver Carbonate in 10 ml of Water.

Filter the solution and wash the precipitate with Acetone, Alcohol and water in that order.

Pass sufficient Hydrogen Sulphide through the filtrate. Boil the solution for 10 minutes, Inter and evaporate under vacuum in a tared flask.

Add to the residue 5 ml of Ethyl Alcohol - evaporate to dryness, repeat the process once again and weight the residue to constant weight in a vacuum desiccator.

CONSTITUENTS - Alkaloids and withanolides.

PROPERTIES AND ACTION: Rasa : Tikta, Kasaya Guna : Laghu Virya : Usna Vipaka : Madhura Sweet (madhura), sour (amla),

salty (lawana), pungent (katu) bitter (tikta) and astringent (kasaya).

Karma : Rasayana,, Balya, .

IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Asvagandhadyarishta Asvagandhadi Leha Balasvagandha Laksadi Taila

THERAPEUTIC USES – Sotha, ksaya, Daubalya, Vataroga, Klaibya

DOSE - 3-6 g of the drug in powder form.

2) ARDRAKA (Rhizome)

Ardraka consists of fresh rhizome of Zingiber officinale Rosc. (Fam.Zingiberaceae); a herbaceous rhizomatous perennial, reaching up to 90 cm in height, widely cultivated in India. Rhizomes are dug in January-February, buds and roots areremoved and washed well.

SYNONYMS:Sanskrit : Katubhadra, Bengali : AdaEnglish : GingerGujrati : AduHindi : AdarakhaKannada : Alla, HasishuntiMalayalam : InchiMarathi : Ardrak, AlePunjabi : Adi, AdrakTamil : Injee, Allam, lakottai, InjiTelugu : Allamu, AllamUrdu : Adrak

DESCRIPTION:

a) MacroscopicDrug occurs as entire rhizome or in pieces, rhizome laterally compressed bearing flattish ovate, oblique branches on upper side, each having a depressed scar at its apex, pieces 5-15 cm long, 1.5-6.5 cm wide (usually 3-4 cm) and 1-1.5 cm thick, fracture, short with projecting fibres, transversely cut surface shows a wide central stele having numerous greyish cut ends of fibres and yellow secreting cells; odour, gingery; taste, pungent

b) Microscopic

Rhizome - Shows a few layered, irregularly arranged, tangentially elongated, brown cells of outer cork and 6-12 rows of thin-walled, colorless, radially arranged cells of inner cork; secondary cortex consisting of hexagonal to polygonal, isodiametric, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells containing numerous circular to oval starch grains with striations and hilum at one end with clear concentric striations, measuring 5-25μ in 12 dia., idioblasts containing large yellowish to brownish globules of oleo-resin; walls of oilcells suberized ; numerous closed, conjoint, collateral, cortical fibro-vascular bundles scattered throughout cortical zone, greater number occurring in inner cortical region,

larger bundles consists of 2- 7 vessels, small cells of sieve tube, polygonal cells of parenchyma and group of fibres; vessels showing reticulate, scalariforrn and spiral thickening; fibres septate with a few oblique pores on their walls; endodermis single layered, free from starch; pericyclic single layered enclosing central stele; stele consisting of thin-walled polygonal, isodiametric cells of parenchyma, filled with abundant starch grains, oleo-resin cells similar to those present in cortex; fibro vascular bundles of two types, those arranged along pericycle in a definite ring are smaller in size and devoid of fibres, vessels 2-5 in number, larger bundles found scattered throughout stele, composed of xylem, phloem, parenchyma and sheath of sclerenchyma.

IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH:

Foreign matter Not more than 0.5 per cent,

Total Ash Not more than 8 per cent, Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1 per

cent. Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less

than 5 percent. Water-soluble extractive Not less than

2 per cent. Moisture content Not more than 90 per

cent,

CONSTITUENTS - Volatile Oil containing Cineole zingiberol, and sesquiterpene like zingiberene, bisobolene and sesqui phellandrene, gingerosol in the oleo-resin.

PROPERTIES AND ACTION:1. Rasa : Katu2. Guna : Guru, Ruksa, 3. Virya : Usna4. Vipaka : Madhura5. Karma : Dipana, Hrdya, Kaphahara, Vatahara,

Rocana, Bhedana, Svarya

IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS - Ardraka Khandavaleha, Sarasvatarista.

THERAPEUTIC USES - Sula, Vibandha, Anaha, Sopha, Kantharoga.

DOSE - 2-3 ml of the drug in juice form with honey.

3) HARIDRA

Haridra consists of the dried and cured rhizomes of Curcuma longa Linn. (Fam. Zingiberaceae), a perennial herb extensively cultivated in all parts of the country, crop is harvested after 9-10 months when lower leaves turn yellow rhizomes carefully dug up with hand-picks between October-April and cured by boiling and dried.

SYNONYMS:Sanskrit : Rajani, Nisa, Nisi, Ratri, Ksanada,DosaAssamese : Haldhi, HaladhiBengali : Halud, HaldiEnglish : TurmericHindi : Haldi, HardiKashmiri : Ledar, LadhirMarathi : HaladOriya : HaladiPunjabi : Haldi, HaldarTamil : ManjalTelugu : PasupuUrdu : Haldi

DESCRIPTION:

a) MacroscopicRhizomes ovate, oblong or pyriform (round turmeric) or cylindrical, often short branched (long turmeric), former about half as broad as long, latter 2-5 cm long and about 1-1.8 cm thick, externally yellowish to yellowish-brown with root scars and annulations of leaf bases, fracture horny, fractured surface orange to reddish brown, central cylinder twice as broad as cortex: odour and taste characteristic.

b) MicroscopicTransverse section of rhizome shows epidermis with thick-walled, cubical cells of various dimensions, cortex characterized by the presence of mostly thin-walled rounded parenchyma cells scattered collateral vascular bundles, a few layers of cork developed under epidermis and scattered oleo-resin cells with brownish contents; cork generally composed of 4-6 layers of thin-walled, brick-shaped parenchyma, cells of ground tissuecontain starch grains of 4-15 μ in diameter, oil cell with suberized walls containing either orange-yellow globules of volatile oil or amorphous resinous matter, vessels mainly spirally thickened, a few reticulate and annular.

Identification-1) On the addition of Concentrated Sulphuric acid or a

mixture of Concentrated Sulphuric acid and alcohol to the powdered drug, a deep crimson color is produced.

2) A piece of filter paper is impregnated with an alcoholic extract of the powder, dried, and then moistened with a solution of Boric acid slightly acidified with Hydrochloric acid, dried again, the filter paper assumes a pink or brownish red colour which becomes deep blue or greenish-black on the addition of alkali.

IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH:

Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent Total Ash Not more than 9 per cent. Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1 per cent. Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 8 per

cent. Water-soluble extractive Not less than 12 per

cent. Volatile oil Not less than 4 per cent.

CONSTITUENTS : Essential oil and a colouring matter (curcumin).

PROPERTIES AND ACTION:Rasa : Katu, TiktaGuna : RukÀaVirya : UsnaVipaka : KatuKarma : Krmighna, Kushaghna, Varnya, Visaghna,

IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS –Haridra Khanda

THERAPEUTIC USES – Pandu, Prameha, Vrana, Visavikara, Kustha, Tvagroga,

DOSE - 1-3 g of the drug in powder form.

4) LASUNA (Bulb)

Lasuna consists of bulb of Allium sativum Linn. (Fam. Liliaceae); a perennial bulbous plant, cultivated as an important condiment crop in the country.

SYNONYMS -Sansk. : Rasona, Assam. : MaharuBeng. : LasunaEng. : GarlicGuj. : Lasan, LassunHindi. : LahasunKan. : BulluciPunj. : LasanTam. : VellaipoonduTel. : Vellulli, Tellapya, TellagaddaUrdu. : Lahsan, Seer

DESCRIPTION -a) Macroscopic:Drug occurs as entire bulb or isolated cloves (bulblets); bulb sub-globular, 4-6 cm in diameter, consisting of 8-20 cloves, surrounded by 3-5 whitish papery membranous scales attached to a short disc-like woody stem having numerous wiry rootlets on the under side; each clove is irregularly ovoid, tapering at upper end with dorsal convex surface, 2-3 cm long, 0.5 - 0.8 cm wide, each surrounded by two very thin papery whitish and brittle scales having 2-3 yellowish green folded leaves contained within two white fleshy, modified leaf bases or scales; odour, peculiarly pungent and disagreeable; taste, acrid gives warmth to the tongue.

b) Microscopic:A clove of bulb shows tri to tetrangular appearance in outline; outer scale consists of an outer epidermis, followed by hypodermal crystal layer, mesophyll made of parenchyma cells and an inner epidermis; both outer and inner epidermis consists of sub rectangular cells; hypodermis consists of compressed, irregular, tangentially elongated cells, each cell having large prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, while many cells contain small prismatic crystals also, mesophyll several layers of parenchymatous cells having a few vascular tissues with spiral vessels; inner epidermis similar to outer one; inner scale similar to outer scale but outer epidermis composed of sclerenchymatous cells; prismatic crystals in hypodermis slightly smaller.

IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH –

Foreign matter Not more than 2 Per cent Total ash Not more than 4 Per cent Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1 Per cent Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 2.5 Per cent, Loss on drying Not less than 60 Per cent Volatile Oil Not less than 0.1 Per cent

T.L.C. - T.L.C. of the alcoholic extract on Silica gel 'G' plate

using n-Butanol : Isopropanol Acetic acid: Water (3 : 1: 1 : 1) shows under UV (366 nm) two fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.58 and 0.72 (both light blue).

On exposure to Iodine vapour nine spots appear at Rf. 0.18, 0.26, 0.34, 0.38, 0.46, 0.58, 0.72, 0.77 and 0.93 (all yellow)

On spraying with Ninhydrin reagent and heating the plate for ten minutes at 110°C seven spots appear at Rf. 0.26, 0.38, 0.46, 0.58, 0.67, 0.72 and 0.93 (all pink).

On spraying with Vanillin-Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for ten minutes at 110°C seven spots appear at Rf. 0.26, 0.38, 0.46, 0,58, 0.67, 0.72 and 0.93 (all gery).

CONSTITUENTS - Volatile Oil containing Allyl Disulphide and Diallyl Disulphide. It also contains Allin, Allicin, Mucilage and Albumin.

PROPERTIES AND ACTION -Rasa : Madhura, KatuGuna : Guru, Picchila, Sara, Snigdha, Virya : UsnaVipaka : KatuKarma : Balya, Dipana, Hrdya, Kaphahara, Medhya, Raktadosahara, Vetahara, Vrsya,

IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS - Lasunadi Vati, Lasunadi Ghrta And VacaLasunadi Taila

THERAPEUTIC USES - Jirna, Jvara, Krmiroga, Gulma, Kusthaa, Arsa, Kasa, Svasa,Pinasa, Sula,

DOSE - 3 - g. of the drug.

5) AMALAKÌ(Fresh Fruit)

Ëmalak¢ consists of fresh fruit pulp of Emblica officinalis Gaertn. (Fam.Euphorbiaceae); a small or medium sized tree, found in mixed deciduous forests, ascendingto 1300 m on hills and cultivated in gardens and homeyards.

SYNONYMSSanskrit : Amalaka, Amrtaphala, DhatriphalaAssamese : Amlaku, Amlakhi, AmlakhuBengali : Amla, DhatriEnglish : Emblic MyrobalanGujrati : Ambala, AmalaHindi : Amla, AonlaKannada : NellikayiKashmiri : Embali, AmliMalayalam : NellikkaMarathi : Anvala, AvalkathiOriya : Anala, AinlaPunjabi : Aula, Amla

DESCRIPTION

a) Macroscopic

Fruit, globose, 2.5-3.5 cm in diameter, fleshy, smooth with six prominent lines; greenish when tender, changing to light yellowish or pinkish color when mature, with a few dark specks: taste, sour and astringent followed by delicately sweet taste.b)

b) MicroscopicTransverse section of mature fruit shows an epicarp consisting of single layer of epidermis and 2-4 layers of hypodermis; epidermal cell, tabular in shape, covered externally with a thick cuticle and appear in surface view as polygonal; hypodermal cells tangentially elongated, thick-walled, smaller in dimension than epidermal cells; mesocarp forms bulk of fruit, consisting of thin-walled parenchymatous cells with intercellular spaces, peripheral 6-9 layers smaller, ovoid or tangentially elongated while rest of cells larger in size, isodiametric and radially elongated; xylem composed of tracheal elements, fibre tracheids and xylem fibres; tracheal elements show reticulate scalariform and spiral thickenings; xylem fibres elongated with narrow lumen and pointed end; mesocarp contains large aggregates of numerous irregular silica crystals.

IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH

Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent. Total Ash Not more than 7 per cent. Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 2 per cent. Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 40 per cent.

(On dried basis) Water-soluble extractive Not less than 50 per cent. Moisture content Not less than 80 per cent.

CONSTITUENTS – Ascorbic acid and tannins.

PROPERTIES AND ACTION - Rasa : Madhura, Amla, Katu, Tikta, Guna : Laghu, Ruksa Virya : Sita Vipaka : Madhura Karma : Tridosajit, Rasayana, Caksusya

IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS -Cyavanaprasa.

THERAPEUTIC USES - Raktapitta; Amlapitta; Prameha; Daha

DOSE - 10-20 g of the drug. 5-10 ml of fresh juice.