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BIBHITAKA (Fruit)
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Vibhitaka, Aksha, Akshaka
Assamese : Bhomora, Bhomra, Bhaira
Bengali : Bayada, Baheda
English : Beleric Myrobalan
Gujrati : Bahedan
Hindi : Bahera
Kannada : Tare kai, Shanti Kayi
Kashmiri : Babelo, Balali
Malayalam : Tannikka
Marathi : Baheda
Oriya : Baheda
Punjabi : Bahera
Tamil : Thanrikkai
Telugu : Thanikkaya
Urdu : Bahera
Bibhitaka consists of pericarp of
dried ripe fruits of Terminalia belerica
Roxb. (Fam. Combretaceae), a large
deciduous tree, 10-12 m or more high,
commonly found in plain and forests
upto 900 m elevation, fruits ripen
towards November.
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Fruit nearly spherical to ovoid, 2.5-4.0 cm in diameter, fresh ripe fruits
slightly silvery or with whitish shiny pubescent surface, mature fruits gray
or grayish brown with slightly wrinkled appearance, rind of fruit shows
variation in thickness from 3-5 mm, taste, astringent.
b) Microscopic
Transverse section of fruit shows an outer epicarp consisting of a layer of
epidermis, most of epidermal cells elongate to form hair like protuberance
with swollen base, composed of a zone of parenchymatous cells, slightly
tangentially elongated and irregularly arranged, intermingled with stone
cells of varying shape and size, elongated stone cells found towards
periphery and spherical in the inner zone of mesocarp in groups of 3-10,
mesocarp traversed in various directions by numerous vascular strands,
bundles collateral, endarch, simple starch grains and some stone cells found
in most of mesocarp cells, few peripheral layers devoid of starch grains,
rosettes of calcium oxalate and stone cells present in parenchymatous
cells, endosperm composed of stone cells running longitudinally as well
as transversely.
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 1 per cent,
Alcohol-soluble extractive: Not less than 8 per cent,
Water-soluble extractive: Not less than 35 per cent,
CONSTITUENTS
Gallic acid, tannic acid and glycosides
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa: Kashaya
Guna : Ruksha, Laghu
Veerya : Ushna
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma: Kaphapittajit, Bhedaka, Kriminaashana, Cakshushya, Keshya,
Kaasahara
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS
Triphala Churna, Triphaladi Taila, Lavangaadi Vati.
THERAPEUTIC USES
Svarabheda, Netraroga, Kasa, Chardi, Krimiroga, Vibandha
DOSE
3-6 g of the drug in powder from
DHATAKI (Flower)
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Bahupuspi, Taamrapushpi, Vahnijvala
Assamese : Dhaiphool
Bengali : Dhaiphul
English : Fire flame bush
Gujrati : Dhavadi, Dhavani
Hindi : Dhai, Dhava
Kannada : Dhataki, Tamrapushpi
Malayalam : Tattiripuvu, Tatire
Marathi : Dhayati, Dhavati
Oriya : Dhaiphula, Dhatuki
Punjabi : Davi, Phul Dhava
Tamil : Kattati, Kattathi, Kattattipoo
Telugu : Aarl Puruvu
Dhataki consists of flowers of
Woodfordia fruticosa (Linn.) Kurz.
(Fam. Lythraceae) : much branched,
semi deciduous, undershrub or shrub,
1-3 m high, rarely upto 3 m, found
throughout India, ascending to 1500 m
in Himalayas and also in the Gangetic
plains, also cultivated in gardens.
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Flower, about 1.2 cm long, occurs as single or in bunches of 2-15, calyx
1.0-1.6 cm long, ridged and glabrous, bright red when fresh but fades on
drying, with campanulate base and oblique apex having 6 triangular and
acute teeth, each tooth being, 2-2.5 mm long, 6, very minute accessory
sepals attached outside at the juncture of calyx tooth and deeper in colour,
petals 6, attached inside the mouth of calyx-tube, shightly longer than
calyx tooth, alternating with calyx-tooth pale rose or whitish, thin, papery,
lanceolate, acuminate, stamens 12, united at the base, about 1.5-2 cm
long, filament filiform, curved at the apex, keeping anthers inside calyxtube
, anthers dorsifixed brown, almost rounded or broadly ovate, carpels
2, united, ovary superior, style filiform, longe, than ovary and stamens,
taste, astringent.
b) Microscopic
Transverse section of sepal shows, single layered cuticularised epidermis,
provided with both glandular and covering trichomes; glandular
trichomes, multicellular, long, consisting of a stalk and a globose, thinwalled,
multicellular head, covering trichomes, unicellular thick-walled
broad at base and pointed at the apex, ground tissue consisting of thinwalled,
parenchymatous cells surface view of petal shows thin-walled,
parenchymatous cells, provided with very few sparsely distributed covering
trichomes, transverse section of filament shows, epidermis consisting of
single layered tangentially elongated cells, covered with a very thickcuticle,
ground tissue consisting of thin walled parenchymatous cells with
intercellular spaces, surrounding a central. vascular cylinder of spirally
thickened vessels, transverse section of anther shows, single layered
epidermis, covered with cuticle followed by several layers of thickened
cells, surrounding both the pollen-sacs having numerous pollen grains,
pollen grains roughly tetrahedral with three pores, measuring 12-16 μ
approximately, central region consisting of thin-walled cells emboding
vascular bundles.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter: Not more than 2 per cent,
Total Ash: Not more than 10 per cent,
Acid-insoluble ash: Not more than 1 per cent,
Alcohol-soluble extractive: Not less than 7 per cent,
Water-soluble extractive: Not less than 28 per cent,
CONSTITUENTS Tannins and glucosides
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Kashaya, Katu
Guna : Laghu
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