Amalki, Awla (Dried)

Biological Source

Amalaki consists of pericarp of dried mature fruits of Emblica officinalis Gaertn. Syn. Phyllanthus emblica Linn. (Family - Euphorbiaceae) ; mostly collected in winter season after ripening and in Kashmir in summer, a small or medium sized tree, found both in natural state in mixed deciduous forests of the country ascending to 1300 m on hills; cultivated in gardens, homeyards or grown as a road side tree.

Synonyms

Sanskrit :- Amrtaphala, Amalaka, Dhatriphala

Assam :- Amlakhi, Amlakhu, Amlaku

Bengali :- Amla, Dhatri

English :- Emblic Myrobalan

Gujrati :- Ambala, Amala

Hindi :- Amla, Aonla

Kannada :- Nellikayi, Bela nelli, pottadenollikayi

Kashmiri :- Amli, Embali

Malayalam :- Nellikka

Marathi :- Anvala, Avalkathi

Oriya :- Ainla, Anala

Punjabi :- Aula, amla

Tamil :- Nellikkai, nelli

Telugu :- Usirika

Urdu :- Amla, Amlaj

Description

A) Macroscopic

Drug consists of curled pieces of pericarp of dried fruit occuring either as separated single segment; 1-2 cm long or united as 3 or 4 segments; bulk colour grey to black, pieces showing, a broad, highly shrivelled and wrinkled external convex surface to somewhat concave, transversely wrinkled lateral surface, external surface shows a few whitish specks, occasionally some pieces show a portion of stony testa (which should be removed before processing); texture rough, cartilaginous, tough; taste, sour and astringent.

B) Microscopic

Transverse section of fruit shows epicarp consisting of a single layered epidermis cell appearing tabular and poygonal in surface view; cuticle present; mesocarp cells tangentially elongated parenchymatous and crushed differentiated roughly into peripheral 8 or 9 layers of tangentially elongated smaller cells, rest consisting of mostly isodiametric larger cells with walls showing irregular thickenings; ramified vascular elements occasionally present; stone cells present either isolated or in small groups towards endocarp ; pitted vascular fibres, walls appearing serrated due to the pit canals, leading into lumen.

C) Powder

Fine powder shows epidermis with uniformly thickened straight walled isodiametric parenchyma cells with irregular thickened walls, occasionally short fibres and tracheids.

Identity, Purity And Strength

Foreign matter :- Not more than 3 per cent, (Including seed and seed coat)

Total Ash :- Not more than 7 per cent,

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

Alcohol-soluble extractive :- Not less than 40 per cent,

Water-soluble extractive :- Not less than 50 per cent,

Constituents

Ascorbic acid and gallotannins.

Properties and Action

Rasa :- Madhura, Amla, Katu, Tikta, Kasaya

Guna :- Laghu, Ruksa

Virya :- Sita

Vipaka :- Madhura

Karma :- Caksusya, Rasayana, Tridosajit, Vrsya

Impoprtant Formulations

Cyavanaprasa , Dhatri Lauha, Dhatryadi Ghrta, Triphala churna

Therapeutic Uses

Raktapitta, Amlapitta, Premeha, Daha

Dose

3-6 g of the drug in powder form