Dhana, Dhanyak, Dhaniya

Dhanyaka consists of dried ripe fruits of Coriandrum sativum Linn. (Family - Umbelliferae) , a slender, glabrous, branched, annual herb, cultivated all over India, 30-90 cm high, giving characteristic aroma when rubbed, crop matures in 2-3 months after sowing, herb is pulled out with roots, after drying, fruits threashed out and dried in sun, winnowed, and stored in bags.

Synonyms

Sanskrit :- Dhanika, Dhanya, Vitunnaka, Kustumburu

Assam :- Dhaniya

Bengali :- Dhane, Dhania

English :- Coriander fruit

Gujrati :- Dhana

Hindi :- Dhaniya

Kannada :- Havija, Kothambari bija

Kashmiri :- Dhaniwal, Dhanawal

Malayalam :- Malli, Kothampatayari

Marathi :- Dhane, Kothimbir

Oriya :- Dhania

Punjabi :- Dhania

Tamil :- Kottamatli virai, Dhaniya

Telugu :- Dhaniyalu

Urdu :- Kishneez

Description

A) Macroscopic

Fruit globular, mericarps usually united by their margins forming a cremocarp about 2-4 mm in diameter, uniformly brownish-yellow or brown, glabrous, sometimes crowned by the remains of sepals and styles, primary ridges 10, wavy and slightly inconspicuous secondary ridges 8, straight, and more prominent, endosperm coelospermous , odour, aromatic, taste, spicy and characteristic.

B) Microscopic

Transverse section of fruit shows pericarp with outer epidermis, when present with slightly thickened anticlinal wall, a few stomata, many cells with small prisms of calcium oxalate, trichomes absent, outer layer of mesocarp parenchymatous with inner cells in wavy longitudinal rows and degenerated vittae as tangentially flattened cavities, middle layer of mesocarp sclerenchymatous forming a thick layer of fusiform, pitted cells in very sinuous rows, layers often crossing at right angles with definite longitudinal strands in the secondary ridges, sinuous primary costae with some spiral

Vessel :- inner cells of mesocarp, large, hexagonal with rather thin, lignified walls, inner epidermis of very narrow thin-walled cells slightly sinuous anticlinal wall showing parquetry arrangement, two or rarely more, normal vittae occurring on commissural side of each mesocarp containing volatile oil, endosperm of thick-walled cellulosic parenchyma containing much fixed oil, numerous aleurone grains, about 4-8 in diameter containing micro-rosettes of calcium oxalate , split carpophore passing at apex of each mericarp into raphe, adjacent to which a large cavity and on inner side of this a flattened vascular strand, carpophore consisting of fibres surrounded by spiral vessels.

Powder - Fawn to brown, epidermal cells of pericarp when present, slightly thick-walled and many containing small prism of calcium oxalate, parenchymatous cells of mesocarp without reticulate thickening, masses of sclerenchymatous cells of mesocarp in sinuous rows, often crossing at right angles, large tubular hexagonal rather thin-walled sclerenchymatous cells of endocarp, cells of inner epidermis with slightly sinnous anticlinal walls, thick-walled polygonal parenchymatous cells of endosperm, containing fixed oil and numerous small aleurone grains, micro-rosettes of calcium oxalate.

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 1.5 per cent,

Alcohol-soluble extractive :- Not less than 10 per cent,

Water-soluble extractive :- Not less than 19 per cent,

Volatile oil :- Not less than 0.3 per cent,

Active Constituents

Essential oil (coriandrol).

Properties and Action

Rasa :- Madhura, Katu, Tikta, Kasaya

Guna :- Laghu, Snigdha

Virya :- Usna

Vipaka :- Madhura

Karma :- Caksusya, Dipana, Grahi, Hrdya, Pacana, Tridosanut, Mutrala

Important Formulations

Dhanyapancaka kvatha Churna

Therapeutic Uses

Atisara, Chardi, Daha, Jvara, Trsna, Ajirna

Dose

1-3 g of the drug in powder form.