Pimpal, Pipal, Asvattha

Biological Source

Asvattha consists of dried bark of Ficus religiosa Linn.(Family Moraceae, a large perennial tree, glabrous when young, found throughout the plains of India upto 170 m altitude in the Himalayas, largely planted as an avenue and roadside tree especially near temples.

Synonyms

Sanskrit :- Pippala

Assam :- Ahant

Bengali :- Asvattha, Ashud, Ashvattha

English :- Pipal tree

Gujrati :- Piplo, Jari, Piparo, Pipalo

Hindi :- Pipala, Pipal

Kannada :- Arlo, Ranji, Basri, Ashvatthanara, Ashwatha, Aralimara, Aralegida, Ashvathamara, Basari, Ashvattha

Kashmiri :- Bad

Malayalam :- Arayal

Marathi :- Pipal, Pimpal, Pippal

Oriya :- Aswatha

Punjabi :- Pipal, Pippal

Tamil :- Ashwarthan, Arasamaram, Arasan, Arasu, Arara

Telugu :- Ravichettu

Urdu :- --

Description

A) Macroscopic

Bark occurs in flat or slightly curved pieces, varying from 1.0-2.5 cm or more in thickness, outer surface brown or ash coloured, surface uneven due to exfoliation of cork, inner surface smooth and somewhat brownish, fracture, fibrous, taste, astringent.

B) Microscopic

Transverse section of bark shows compressed rectangular to cubical, thick-walled cork cells and dead elements of secondary cortex, consisting of masses of stone cells, cork cambium distinct with 3-4 rows of newly formed secondary cortex, mostly composed of stone cells towards periphery, stone cells found scattered in large groups, rarely isolated, most of parenchymatous cells of secondary cortex contain numerous starch grains and few prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, secondary phloem a wide zone, consisting of sieve elements, phloem fibres in singles or in groups of 2 to many and non-lignified, numerous crystal fibres also present, in outer region sieve elements mostly collapsed while in inner region intact, phloem parenchyma mostly thick-walled, stone cells present in single or in small groups similar to those in secondary cortex, a number of ray-cells and phloem parenchyma filled with brown pigments, prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate and starch grains present in a number of parenchymatous cells, medullary rays uni to multiseriate, wider towards outer periphery composed of thick-walled cells with simple pits, in tangential section ray cells circular to oval in shape, cambium when present, consists of 2-4 layers of thin-walled rectangular cells.

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 0.3 per cent,

Alcohol-soluble extractive :- Not less than 8 per cent,

Water-soluble extractive :- Not less than 9 per cent,

Active Constituents

Tannins.

Properties and Action

Rasa :- Kasaya

Guna :- Guru, Ruksa.

Virya :- Sita

Vipaka :- Katu

Karma :- Varnya, Kaphapittavinasi, Samgrahi, Bhagnasandhanakara, Mutrasamgrahaniya.

Important Formulations

Nyagrodhadi Churna, Nyagrodhadi Kvatha Churna

Therapeutic Uses

Prameha, Raktapitta, Vrana, Vatarakta, Yonidosa

Dose

20-30 g of the drug for decoction.