Solanum indicum (Root)

BRIHATI (Root)
Brihati consists of dried root of Solanum indicum Linn. (Fam. Solanaceae); a very prickly, much branched perennial under shrub, upto 1.8 m high, mostly found throughout warmer parts of the country upto an elevation of 1500 m.

SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : sanhika
Assamese : Tilabhakuri
Bengali : Byakud
English : —
Gujrati : Umimuyaringani, Ubhibharingani, Ubhibhuyaringa
Hindi : Vanabharata, Badikateri
Kannada : Kirugullia, Heggulla, Gulla
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Cheru Vazhuthina, Putirichunda
Marathi : Dorli, Chichuriti, Dorale
Oriya : Dengabheji
Punjabi : Kandiarivaddi
Tamil : Chiru vazhuthalai, Papparamulli, Mullamkatti
Telugu : Tella Mulaka
Urdu : Kateli

DESCRIPTION

a) Macroscopic
Root well developed, long, ribbed, woody, cylindrical, pale yellowish-brown, 1-2.5 cm in dia., a number of secondary roots and their branches present, surface rough due to presence of longitudinal striations and root scars, fracture, short and splintery; no distinct odour and taste.

b) Microscopic
Root – Shows thin cork composed of 5 – 15 layers of thin-walled, tangentially elongated, rectangular cells filled with yellowish-brown content; cork cambium single layered; secondary cortex composed of 5 – 9 layers of thin-walled, oval and tangentially elongated cells; stone cells present in singles or in groups of 2-5 or more in this region; secondary phloem composed of sieve elements, parenchyma and stone cells, traversed by phloem rays; phloem parenchyma much abundant, thin-walled; stone cells present in outer phloem region in singles or in groups of 2-5, varying greatly in shape and size;phloem rays 1-3 cells wide, isodiametric to slightly radially elongated in inner phloem region and radially elongated in outer phloem region, occasionally stone cells also found in medullary rays; wood occupies bulk of root and composed of vessels, tracheids, fibres and xylem parenchyma, traversed by xylem rays, all elements being lignified, vessels occur singly or in groups of 2-5 with simple pits; xylem fibres moderately thick-walled with simple pits and pointed ends found in adundance; xylem parenchyma have simple pits or reticulate thickening; xylem rays uni to biseriate, thick-walled, cells radially elongated and pitted, microsphenoidal crystals of calcium oxalate as sandy masses and simple starch grains present in some cells of secondary cortex, phloem and medullary rays; simple and rounded to oval starch grains, measuring 5.5 -11.6 µ in diameter.
Powder – Cream coloured; shows groups of thin-walled, parenchymatous cells, aseptate fibres, vessels with simple pits, oval to elongated stone cells and simple, rounded to oval starch grains, measuring 5.5 – 11.6 µ in diameter.

CONSTITUENTS – Steroidal Alkaloids and Steroids

PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta
Guna : Laghu
Virya : Ushna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Dipana, Hridya, Kaphahara, Pacana, Vatahara, Grahi

IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Dasamhularishta., Dasamhula Ghrita

THERAPEUTIC USES – shula, svasa, Hridroga, Jvara, Agnimadya.

DOSE – 10-20 g. of the drug for decoction.