Babhul, Babool Chhal

Biological Source

Babbula consists of dried mature stem bark of Acacia nilotica (Linn.) Willd. ex. Del. sp. indica (Benth.) Brenan, Syn. Acacia arabica Willd. (Family - Leguminosae) , a moderate sized, spiny, evergreen tree found throughout India.

Synonyms

Sanskrit :- Bavari, Kinkirata

Assam :- Babala

Bengali :- Babla

English :- Babula tree, Indian gum arabic tree

Gujrati :- Baval, Kaloabaval

Hindi :- Babula, Babura, Kikar

Kannada :- Sharmeeruka, Kari Jail, Kari gobli, Pulai Jali

Kashmiri :- Sak

Malayalam :- Velutha Karuvelan

Marathi :- Babhul, Babhula

Oriya :- Babula, Babala

Punjabi :- Kikkar

Tamil :- Karuvelan, Karuvel

Telugu :- Nallatumma, Thumma

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

Description

A) Macroscopic

Bark hard, dark brown or black, deeply fissured transversely and longitudinally, inner surface, reddish brown, longitudinally striated and fibrous, breaks with difficulty and exhibits a fibrous fracture, taste, astringent.

B) Microscopic

Transverse section of mature bark shows, 15-25 layered, thin-walled, slightly flattened mostly rectangular, brown coloured cork cells, a few lenticels formed by rupturing of cork cells, secondary cortical cells ovate to elongated, many tanniferous stone cel1s, variable in shape and size present in large groups, secondary phloem consists of sieve tubes, companion cells, fibres, crystal fibres and phloem parenchyma phloem fibres in many groups and thick-walled, phloem tissues filled with reddish or brown contents present, crystal fibres thick-walled, elongated, divided by transverse septa into segments, each contain a prismatic crystal of calcium oxalate, medullary rays uni to-multi- seriate run almost straight, ray cells elongated to polygonal, 20-24 cells high and 2-5 cells wide, crystals of calcium oxalate found scattered amongst the stone cell"cel1s of secondary cortex and phloem parenchyma.

C) Powder

Powder as such reddish brown coloured, under microscope many prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, stone cells, both with narrow and wide lumen and striations and crystal fibres seen.

Identity, Purity and Strength

Foreign matter :- Not more than 2 per cent,

Total Ash :- Not more than 15 per cent,

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

Alcohol-soluble extractive :- Not less than 6 per cent,

Water-soluble extractive :- Not less than 4 per cent,

Active Constituents

Tannins and gum.

Properties and Action

Rasa :- Kasaya

Guna :- Guru, Ruksa, Visada

Virya :- Sita

Vipaka :- Katu

Karma :- Grahi, Kaphahara, Visaghna.

Important Formulations

Mrtasanjivani Sura, Babbularista.

Therapeutic Uses

Kasa, Kamiroga, Kustha, Atisara

Dose

20-30 g of the drug for decoction.