Ahaliv, Chandrashur

Biological Source

Candrasura consists of dried seeds of Lepidium sativum Linn. (Family - Cruciferae) a small erect, annual herb, about 15-45 cm high, cultivated throughout India.

Synonyms

Sanskrit :- Candrika

Assam :- Halim

Bengali :- Chand Shura, Halim

English :- Common Cress

Gujrati :- Aseriya, Aseliyo

Hindi :- Chansur

Kannada :- Allibija, Kapila

Kashmiri :- Alian

Malayalam :- Asali

Marathi :- Ahaliva, Haliv

Oriya :- Chandasara, Chandasura

Punjabi :- Holan, Taratej

Tamil :- Allivirai

Telugu :- Adityalu, Aadalu

Urdu :- Halim

Description

A) Macroscopic

Seeds, small, oval-shaped, pointed and triangular at one end, smooth, about 2-3 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, reddish brown, a furrow present on both surfaces extending upto two thirds downward, a slight wing like extension present on both the edges of seed, when soaked in water seed coat swells and gets covered with a transparent, colourless mucilage, taste, mucilaginous.

B) Microscopic

Powder - Cream-yellow with a number of reddish-brown fragments of seed coats, under microscope shows pieces of seed coat, some showing red colouring matter and others with uniformly thick walls, endosperm oily.

Identity, Purity and Strength

Foreign matter :- Not more than 2 per cent,

Total Ash :- Not more than 8 per cent,

Acid-insoluble ash :- Not more than 0.5 per cent,

Alcohol-soluble extractive :- Not less than 13 per cent,

Active Constituents

Alkaloids, essential oil, fixed oil and mucilage.

Properties and Action

Rasa :- Katu, Tikta

Guna :- Laghu, Ruksa, Tiksna

Virya :- Usna

Vipaka :- Katu

Karma :- Balapushtivivardhana, Vataslemahrt.

Important Formulations

kasturyadi Gutika

Therapeutic Uses

Atisara, Hikka, Vatarakta

Dose

3-6 g of the drug in powder form.