Bel Magaj, Bilva

Biological Source

Bilva consists of pulp of entire, unripe or half ripe fruits of Aegle marmelos Carr. (Family - Rutaceae), a tree, attaining a height of 12 m growing wild and also cultivated throughout the country, rind of fruit is removed and pulp is bruised and dried.

Synonyms

Sanskrit :- Shriphala

Assam :- Bael, Vael

Bengali :- Bela, Bilva

English :- Bengal Quince, Bael fruit

Gujrati :- Bill, Bilum, Bilvaphal

Hindi :- Bela, Sriphal, Bel

Kannada :- Bilva

Kashmiri :- Bel

Malayalam :- Koovalam

Marathi :- Bel, Baela

Oriya :- Bela

Punjabi :- Bil

Tamil :- Vilvam

Telugu :- Maredu

Urdu :- Bel

Description

A) Macroscopic

Fruit, sub-globose, 5-18 cm in diameter, externally greenish when young, yellowish-brown when ripe, rind about 1.5 mm-3 mm thick, hard and woody, surface smooth or slightly granular bearing a circular scar at the point of attachment with peduncle, carpels, 10-15, central, each containing several hairy seeds embedded in yellowish brown, extremely sticky mucilage, seeds oblong, flat, woody, and having white hair, fresh pulp of ripe fruit, brown, of sticky shreads, dried pulp hard and pale to dark red in colour, frequently breaks away from the rind during drying, leaving a thin layer attached to it, odour, faintly aromatic, taste, mucilaginous and slightly astringent.

Identity, Purity and Strength

Total Ash :- Not more than 4 per cent,

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

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

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

Active Constituents

Marmalosin, tannins, mucilage, fatty oil and sugar.

Properties and Action

Rasa :- Katu, Tikta, Kasaya

Guna :- Laghu, Ruksa

Virya :- Usna

Vipaka :- Katu

Karma :- Balya, Dipana, Grahi, Pacana, Pittakrt, Vatakaphahara.

Important Formulations

Bilvadi Leha, Brhatgangadhara Churna

Therapeutic Uses

Pravahika, Agnimandya, Grahaniroga

Dose

3-6 g of the drug in powder form.