Ashok, Ashoka, Asoka

Biological Source

Asoka consists of dried stem bark of Saraca asoca (Rosc.) De. Willd , Syn. Saraca indica Linn. (Family - Leguminosae), collected in spring from mature, wild or cultivated trees, found in Central and Eastern Himalayas, Western Ghats and Deccan.

Synonyms

Sanskrit :- Kankeli

Assam :- Ashoka

Bengali :- Ashoka

English :- Asok Tree

Gujrati :- Ashoka

Hindi :- Ashoka

Kannada :- Ashokadamara, Ashokamara, Kankalimara

Kashmir :- Ashok

Malayalam :- Asokam

Marathi :- Ashok

Oriya :- Ashoka

Punjabi :- Asok

Tamil :- Asogam, Asogu, Asokam

Telugu :- Ashokapatta

Urdu :- ---------------

Description

A) Macroscopic

Bark channelled, externally dark green to greenish grey, smooth with circular lenticels and transversely ridged, sometimes cracked, internally reddish-brown with fine longitudinal strands and fibers, fracture splintery exposing striated surface, a thin whitish continuous layer is seen beneath the cork layer, taste, astringent.

B) Microscopic

Transverse section of stem bark shows periderm consisting of a wide layer of cork, radially flattened narrow cork cambium, secondary cortex wide with one or two continuous layers of stone cells with many patches of sclereids, parenchymatous tissue contains yellow masses and prismatic crystals: secondary phloem consists of phloem parenchyma, sieve tubes with companion cells and phloem fibres occuring in groups, crystal fibres present.

Identity, Purity and Strength

Foreign matter :- Not more than 2 per cent,

Total Ash :- Not more than 11 per cent,

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

Alcohol (90 per cent) soluble extractive :- Not less than 15 per cent,

Water-soluble extractive :- Not less than 11 per cent,

Active Constituents

Tannins and a crystalline glycoside.

Properties and Action

Rasa :- Tikta, Kasaya

Guna :- Laghu, Ruksa

Virya :- Sita

Vipaka :- Katu

Karma :- Hrdya, Visaghna, Grahi, Varnya, Sothahara.

Important Formulations

Asokarishta, Asokaghrut

Therapeutic Uses

Sotha, Daha, Asrgdara, Apaci, Raktadosa

Dose

20-30 g of the drug for decoction.