Amaltas (Bahava) (Aragvadha)

Biological Source

Aragvadha consists of pulp obtained from fruits (devoid of seeds, septa and pieces of pericarp) of Cassia fistula Linn. (Family - Leguminosae), a moderate sized deciduous tree, common throughout India as wild or cultivated plant, fruits collected when ripe.

Synonyms

Sanskrit : Krtamala, Vyadhighata, Sampaka, Nrpadruma

Assam : Sonaroo

Bengali : Sondala

English : Indian Laburnum, Purging cassia

Gujrati : Garamala, Garamalo

Hindi : Amaltas

Kannada : Aragvadha, Kakke, Kakke-gida, Kakkernara, Kakkedai, Rajataru

Kashmiri : Kriyangal Phali

Malayalam : Konna, Kritamalam

Marathi : Bahava, Garamala, Amaltas

Oriya : Sunari

Punjabi : Amaltas

Tamil : Sarakonrai, Sarak konnai, Sarak kondi, Sharakkonrai

Telugu : Rela

Urdu : Khiyar Shambar

Description

A) Macroscopic

Fruit, a many celled, indehiscent pod, 35-60 cm long and 18-25 mm diameter, nearly straight and sub cylindrical, chocolate-brown to almost black in colour, pod surface smooth to naked eye, but under lens showing minute transverse fissures, both dorsal and ventral sutures evident, but not prominent, short stalk attached to base of fruit and rounded distal end mucronate, pericarp thin, hard and woody, fruit initially divided by transverse septa about 5 mm, apart, each containing a single seed attached to ventral suture by a long dark, thread-like funicle about 8-12 by 6-8 mm, circular to oval, flattened, reddish-brown, smooth, extremely hard and with a distinct dark brown line extending from micropyle to base, seed initially embedded in a black viscid pulp consisting of black, thin, shining, circular disc like masses having central depression of seed on both surfaces or as broken pieces adhered with each other, when dipped in water makes yellow solution which darkness to brownish-yellow to dark brown, on keeping, pulp fills the cell but shrinks on drying and adheres to both sides of testa, seeds often lye loose in their segments, odour faint, sickly, taste, sweet.

Identity, Purity and Strength

Foreign matter :- Not more than 2 per cent,

Total Ash :- Not more than 6 per cent,

Acid-insoluble ash :- Not more than 1 per cent,

Alcohol-soluble extractive :- Not less than 15 per cent,

Water-soluble extractive :- Not less than 46 per cent,

Active Constituents

Sugar, mucilage, pectin and anthraquinone.

Properties and Action

Rasa :- Madhura, Tikta

Guna :- Guru

Virya :- Usna

Vipaka :- Madhura

Karma :- Recana

Important Formulations

Aragvadhadi Kvatha , Churna

Therapeutic Uses

Sula, Gulma, Vibandha, Udavartta, Udararoga, Hrdroga, Prameha

Dose

5-10 g of the drug in powder form.