Hirda, Haritaki, Abhaya

Biological Source

Haritaki consists of the pericarp of mature fruits of Terminalia chebula Retz. (Family - Combretaceae), a moderate sized or large tree found throughout India, chiefly in deciduous forests and areas of light rainfall, but occasionally also in slightly moist forests, upto about 1500 m elevation, throughout India, flowers appear from April, August and fruits ripen from October-January.

Synonyms

Sanskrit :- Abhaya, Kayastha, Siva, Pathya, Vijaya (Not Bhanga)

Assam :- Shilikha

Bengali :- Haritaki

English :- Myrobalan

Gujrati :- Hirdo, Himaja, Pulo-harda

Hindi :- Harre, Harad, Harar

Kannada :- Alalekai

Kashmiri :- Halela

Malayalam :- Katukka

Marathi :- Hirda, Haritaki, Harda, Hireda

Oriya :- Harida

Punjabi :- Halela, Harar

Tamil :- Kadukkai

Telugu :- Karaka, Karakkaya

Urdu :- Halela

Description

A) Macroscopic

Intact fruit yellowish-brown, ovoid, 20-35 mm long, 13-25 mm wide, wrinkled and ribbed longitudinally, pericarp fibrous, 3-4 mm thick, non-adherent to the seed, taste, astringent.

b) Microscopic

Transverse section of pericarp shows epicarp consisting of one layer of epidermal cells inner tangential and upper portions of radial wall thick, mesocarp, 2-3 layers of collenchyma, followed by a broad zone of parenchyma in which fibres and sc1ereids in group and vascular bundles scattered, fibres with peg like out growth and simple pitted walls, sclereids of various shapes and sizes but mostly elongated, tannins and raphides in parenchyma, endocarp consists of thick-walled sclereids of various shapes and sizes, mostly elongated, epidermal surface view reveal polygonal cells, uniformly thickwalled, several of them divided into two by a thin septa, starch grains simple rounded or oval in shape, measuring 2-7 μ in diameter, found in plenty in almost all cells of mesocarp.

Powder :- Brownish in colour, under microscope shows a few fibres, vessels with simple pits and groups of sclereids.

Identity, Purity and Strength

Foreign matter :- Not more than 1 per cent,

Total Ash :- Not more than 5 per cent,

Acid-insoluble ash :- Not more than 5 per cent,

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

Water-soluble extractive :- Not less than 60 per cent,

Active Constituents

Tannins, anthraquinones and polyphenolic compounds.

Properties and Action

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

Guna :- Laghu, Ruksa

Virya :- Usna

Vipaka :- Madhura

Karma :- Caksusya, Dipana, Hrdya, Medhya, Sarvadosaprasamana, Rasayana, Anulomana

Important Formulations

Triphala Churna, Triphaladi Taila, Abhayarishta, Agastya Haritaki Rasayana, Chitraka Haritaki, Danti Haritaki, Dasamula Haritaki, Brahma Rasayana, Abhaya Lavana, Pathyadi Lepa

Therapeutic Uses

Sotha, Arsa, Aruci, Hrdroga, Kasa, Pandu, Prameha, Udavarta, Vibandha, Jirana jvara, Visama jvara, Siroroga, Tamaka Svasa, Gulma, Udararoga

Dose

3-6 g of the drug in powder form