Haritaki (Frt.)
HARITAKI
Haritaki consists of the pericarp of mature fruits of Terminalia chebula (Fam. Combretaceae), a moderate sized or large tree , chiefly in deciduous forests and areas of light rainfall, but occasionally also in slightly moist forests, upto about 1500 m elevation, flowers appear from April, August and fruits ripen from October-January.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Abhayi, Kiyasthi, sivi, Pathyi, Vijayi (Not Bhangi)
Assamese : 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 sclereids 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.
CONSTITUENTS – Tannins, anthraquinones and polyphenolic compounds.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Madhura, Amla, Katu, Tikta, Kashiya
Guna : Laghu, Ruksha
Virya : Ushna
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Cakshushya, Dipana, Hridya, Medhya, Sarvadoshaprasamana, Rasayana,Anulomana
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Triphali Churna, Triphalidi Taila, Abhayirishta, AgastyaHaritaki Rasiyana,Citraka Haritaki, Danti Haritaki, Dasamhula Haritaki, Brihma Rasiyana, Abhayi Lavana, Pathyidi Lepa
THERAPEUTIC USES – sotha, Arsa, Aruci, Hridroga, Kasa, Pandu, Prameha, Udivarta, Vibandha, Jirnajvara, Vishamajvara, siroroga, Tamaka swasa, Gulma, Udararoga
DOSE – 3-6 g of the drug in powder form.
