Kakadshingi, Karkatshrungi, Shrungi

Biological Source

Karkatshrungi consists of gall-like excrescences formed by insects on the leaves, petioles and branches of the plant Pistacia chinensia Burgo, Pistacia integerrima Stew. ex Brandis, Rhus succedanea Linn. (Family - Anacardiaceae) during autumn season, growing on the steps of Western Himalayas from Indus to Kumaon at an altitude of 350-2400 m, often cultivated in Punjab plains.

Synonyms

Sanskrit :- Srugi, Visani, Karkata

Assam :- Kakiasrngi

Bengali :- Kankda Shringi

English :- Crab's claw

Gujrati :- Kakada shing, Kakada singi

Hindi :- Kakadasingi, Kakarasingi, Gheekadava

Kannada :- Kakadasingi, Karkatakasringi

Kashmiri :- Kakkar, Kamaladina

Malayalam :- Karkatasringi

Marathi :- Kakadshingi

Oriya :- Kakadashrungi, Kakadashringi

Punjabi :- Kakar, Kakarsingi

Tamil :- Karkata singi

Telugu :- Kakarsingi, Karkatakashrungi

Urdu :- Kakrasinghi

Description

A) Macroscopic

Dried galls hard, hollow, horn-like, thin-walled, generally cylindrical, tapering at both the ends, greyish brown externally and reddish brown internally, size varies from 2.5-30.0 cm or more, each gall contains numerous dead insects, odour, terebinthine, taste of powdered galls, strongly astringent and slightly bitter.

B) Microscopic

Transverse section of gall shows the collapsed epidermis on both the sides, epidermal cells thin-walled, tangentially elongated, ground tissues thin-walled and oval or circular, the outer two layers tangentially elongated while between vascular bundles radially elongated, outer few layers and some of cells of ground tissue filled with yellowish brown contents, vascular bundle scattered throughout the ground tissues in two rows, consist of phloem accompanied by a large tannin sac in each vascular bundle. Powder-Powder greyish brown, under microscope, shows orange yellow colour isolated or associated fragments of xylem vessels and ground tissues.

Identity, Purity and Strength

Foreign matter :- Not more than 2 per cent,

Total Ash :- Not more than 7 per cent,

Acid-insoluble ash :- Not more than 0.2 per cent,

Alcohol-soluble extractive :- Not less than 30 per cent,

Water-soluble extractive :- Not less than 30 per cent,

Active Constituents

Essential oil, tannins and resinous matters.

Properties and Action

Rasa :- Tikta, Kasaya

Guna :- Guru

Virya :- Usna

Vipaka :- Katu

Karma :- Kasahara, Kaphavatahara, Urdhvavatajit, Hikkanigrahana

Important Formulations

Balachaturbhadrika Churna

Therapeutic Uses

Aruci, ávasa, Chardi, Hikka, Jvara, Kasa, Ksaya

Dose

3-6 g of the drug in powder form