UPAKUNCIKA
Upakuµciki consists of seeds of Nigella sativa Linn. (Fam. Ranunculaceae), a small herb, 45 -60 cm high, mostly cultivated in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Assam.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Sthhulajiraka, Upakuµci, Sushavi
Assamese : —
Bengali : Mota Kalajira, Kalajira
English : Small Fennel, Nigella Seed
Gujrati : Kalonji jeeru, Kalounji
Hindi : Kalaunji, Mangaraila
Kannada : Karijirige
Kashmiri : Kath
Malayalam : Karinjirakam
Marathi : Kalaunji jire, Kalejire
Oriya : —
Punjabi : Kalvanji
Tamil : Karunjeerakam, Karunjiragam
Telugu : Peddajila karra
Urdu : Kalongi
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Seeds, flattened, oblong, angular, rugulose tubercular, small, funnel shaped, 0.2 cm. long and 0.1 cm. wide, black, odour, slightly aromatic, taste, bitter.
b) Microscopic
Transverse section of seed shows single layer of epidermis consisting ofelliptical, thick-walled cells covered externally by a papillose cuticle, filled with reddish-brown content, epidermis followed by 2-4 layers of thick-walled, tangentially elongated, parenchymatous cells, followed by a pigmented layer composed of tangentially elongated, cylindrical thick-walled cells filled with reddish-brown pigment, below pigmented layer, parenchyma composed of thick-walled rectangular, radially elongated cells, present in a layer, endosperm consists of moderately thick-walled, rectangular to polygonal cells, a few filled with oil globules, embryo embedded inendosperm.
Powder-Black, oily to touch, under microscope show, groups of parenchyma, endosperm cells and oil globules.
CONSTITUENTS – Essential oil, fixed oil, resin, saponin and tannin.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta
Guna : Laghu, Ruksha
Virya : Ushna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Cakshushya, Dipana, Hridya, Krimighna, Medhya, Picana, Pittala,Rucya, Sangrihi, Vitakaphipaha, Garbhisayavisodhana
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Niriyana Churna, Kinkiyana Gutiki
THERAPEUTIC USES – Atisira, Adhmina, Gulma, Krimiroga(Antihelmenthic)
DOSE – 1-3 g of the drug in powder form.
Nigella sativa
