Korphad, Alovera, Kumari, Kanyasara

Biological Source

Kanyasara consists of dried juice of leaves of Aloe barbadensis Mill. Syn. Aloe vera Tourn.ex Linn, Aloe indica Royle. (Family - Liliaceae), shrub planted in many Indian gardens and found growing throughout India.

Synonyms

Sanskrit :- Kumarirasasambhava, Sahasara

Assam :- Musabhar, Machambar

Bengali :- Ghritakalmi

English :- Indian Aloe

Gujrati :- Eliyo, Eariyo

Hindi :- Musabhar, Elva

Kannada :- Karibola, Lolesara satva, Lovalsara, Lolesara

Kashmiri :- Musabbar, Siber

Malayalam :- Chenninayakam

Marathi :- Korphad

Oriya :- Musabara

Punjabi :- Kalasohaga, Mussabar, Alua

Tamil :- Kattazhi, Satthukkathazhai

Telugu :- Musambaram

Urdu :- Musabbar, Ailiva, Siber

Description

A) Macroscopic

Dark chocolate brown, to black, compact, irregular masses: surface dull, opaque with slightly vitreous appearance, odour, characteristic, taste, nauseous and bitter.

B) Microscopic

Powder when mounted in glycerin or lactophenol and examined under the microscope shows innumerable crystalline, yellowish-brown to chocolate coloured particles of varying size and shape.

Identification

Mix 0.5 g with 50 ml of water, boil until nearly dissolved, cool, add 0.5 g of Kieselguhr and filter, to the filtrate apply the following tests-

(i) Heat 5 ml of filtrate with 0.2 g of Borax until dissolved, add a few drops of this solution to a test-tube nearly filled with Water, a green fluorescence is produced.

(ii) Mix 2 ml of filtrate with 2 ml of a freshly prepared solution of Bromine, a pale yellow precipitate is produced.

Identity, Purity and Strength

Foreign matter :- Not more than 2 per cent,

Total Ash :- Not more than 5 per cent,

Acid-insoluble ash :- Not more than 2 per cent,

Alcohol-soluble extractive :- Not less than 80 per cent,

Water-soluble extractive :- Not less than 60 per cent,

Moisture content :- Not more than 10 per cent, Per cent of its weight when dried to constant weight at 105° C 2.2.9

Active Constituents

Anthraquinone, glycoside

Properties and Action

Rasa :- Katu

Guna :- Usna

Virya :- Usna

Vipaka :- Katu

Karma :- Bhedi, Pittanirharana, Rajahpravartaka, Jvaranut.

Important Formulations

Rajahpravartini Vati, Cukkumtippalyadi Gutika

Therapeutic Uses

Jvara, Udararoga, Kastartava, Yakrdvikara

Dose

125 - 500 mg of the drug in powder form.