Ayurvedic medicinal plants - 4

          Adhatoda vasica

Nama-Rupa –Guna-Karma_Vignanam 

                                                                                  

  

A.  Names in diferent languages:

    1.      Sanskrit Name: vasa

    2.      Local Name: ආඩතෝඩා , වංඇපල

    3.      Latin Name: Adhatoda vasica

    4.      Family: Acanthaceae

    5.      Paryaya: vāsikā, vāsakā, bhishagmatā, sinhikā, sinhāsya, vājadantā

    B.     Prayojyanga-Kalpana:

          ·         Roots

          ·         Leaves

          ·         Flowers

 C.    Panchendriya Pareeksha (organoleptic study)

I).      Chakshurindriya Pareeksha:

 Morphology of Drug

A shrub 1-2 m tall with many opposite, asending branches, cylindrical stem glabrous, young parts finaly puberulous.

            Leaves are simple, large opposite, decussate, 9-25 cm long, acuminate, subcute, very faintly crenate, glabrous, dark green above and palor beneath, lateral veins 4-13 pairs. Parallel and reticulate petioles 0.7-3.5 cm long & hairly.

            Flowers are irregular, large, white, petals 5, fused into two lipped corolla, pubescent outside, corolla tube 1.2 cm long, lower part cylindrical broad, oblong, oval, curved, veins reddish purple at the back, lower lip as long as upper lip.

Flowers in October to December

Fruits- capsule 1.8cm long clavate, pubescent

Seeds- 4 Glabrous, tubercular

II).   Ghranendriya Pareeksha:

                                                              i)      Odour of drug:

                                                            ii)      Odour while burning:

                                                          iii)      Any specialties:

III).  Sparshanendriya Pareeksha:

IV).   Rasendriya Pareeksha:

        Ø  Thikta

        Ø  Kashaya

    D.    Panchabhoutika Nirmanaya(according to Rasa):

            ·         Thikta       =    Vayu + Akasha

            ·         Kashaya    =    Vayu + Prthvi

     E.     Chemical constituents:

              ü  The leaves – Adhatodic acid, alkaloidsvasicine, vasicinore & Betaine,

                     essential oil

              ü  The roots    – Vasicinol, G-hydroxypeganing, peganine

              ü  The flowers – Vasicine, vasicinine, tritriacontane, α-amyrine, β-sitosterol

     F.     Chemical tests For identification(if any):

     G.    Substitutes & Adulterants:

                           Adul terants – Pavetta indica Linn

     H.    Guna Karma:

1.      Veerya: Sheeta

2.      Vipaka: Katu

3.      Guna: Laghu, Ruksha

4.      Prabhava:

5.      Doshagnata: Kapha-pitta shanmaka

6.      Rogaghnata: Swasa, Kasa, Kshaya,Chardi, Kushta

7.      Karma: Hrdya, Grahi, Laghu

8.      Matra: Patra swarasa – 1-2 karsha

            Choorna – 1-4 masha

9.      Vishista Kalpana/Yoga: Vasarishtya, Vasa gritatya, Vasavalehaya,

                                         Vasa sirap, Vasa chandanadi thaila

    I.       Amaika Prayoga(With Reference):

1.         All kinds of bleeding.

2.         Bronchitis (expectorant). For chronic cough a jam is prepared by adding sugar. This is also good against constipation . Since vasa is bitter and cold, it regulates Pitta and is therefore good for liver – fever and asthma.

3.         Jaundice.

4.         Fever.

5.         Asthama (often smoked along with dhatura leaves)

6.         Skin diseases (taken internally and applied externally)

7.         Tuberculosis.

8.         Kidney diseases (acts as a diuretic)

9.         Ulcers.

10.     Wounds.

11.     Conjunctivities (juice of flower)

                                                   (Ayurveda herbs – Dr. P.H. Kulkarni)

  
GWAI-University of Kelaniya 
Sri Lanka
  
BAMS