AMRATA (Stem)
Amrata consists of dried stem of Spondias pinnata (Linn. f.) Kurz Syn. S. mangifera Willd., S. acuminata Roxb. non Gamble (Fam. Anacardiaceae); a small, aromatic, deciduous tree, upto 27 m high and 2-5 m in girth, found wild or cultivated almost throughout the country, ascending upto an altitude of 1500 m in the Himalayas, and also distributed in Andamans.
SYNONYMS –
Sansk. : Amrataka, Markatamrah, Kapitana,
Assam. : Amda
Beng. : Amda
Eng. : Indian Hog. Plum, Hog Plum
Guj. : Jangali Ambo, Ambeda
Hindi. : Ambada
Kan. : Ambate, Amatemara
Kash. : —
Mal. : Ambazham
Mar. : Ambada
Ori. : Aabada
Punj. : —
Tam. : Mampulecci, Mampulicci
Tel. : Ambalamu
Urdu. : —
DESCRIPTION –
a) Macroscopic:
Stem occurs in cut pieces, about 3.5 – 10.0 cm long, 1.0-3.0 cm in dia., cylindrical, more or less rough due to longitudinal wrinkles; occasionally a few round, prominent leaf scars also present, reddish-grey externally having lenticel, white or cream coloured internally with prominent dark brown centre, light in weight; fracture very hard; odour and taste not characteristic.
b) Microscopic:
Mature stem shows a wide zone of cork ranging from 15-25 rows, comprising of tangentially elongated, radially arranged, thin-walled cells containing reddish-brown contents, a few outer cells exfoliating; secondary cortex consisting of 15-17 layers, oval to polygonal, tangentially elongated, thin-walled cells, followed by 2-3 tangential bands comprising of groups of stone cells; secondary phloem consisting of usual elements; phloem fibres arranged in tangential bands, thick-walled, lignified; prominent lysigenous cavities surrounded by a number of tannin sacs present in between the patches of phloem
fibres; phloem parenchyma consisting of thin-walled cells having a few prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate; secondary xylem consists of usual elements, lignified; vessels single or in groups of 2-4 having simple pits, occasionally reticulate thickening, fibres fusiform with blunt tips; tracheids thick-walled; xylem rays 1-2 cells wide and 3-11 cells high; starch grains simple, round to oval having concentric striations and hilum, measuring 3-14 µ in dia., present in secondary cortex, phloem parenchyma, xylem parenchyma and xylem rays.
Powder – Grey; shows fragments of cork cells, phloem fibres, stone cells mostly in groups, occasionally single; a few prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, simple and reticulate vessels; starch grains simple, round to oval having concentric striations and hilum in centre, measuring 3-14 µ in diameter.
CONSTITUENTS – Tannins
PROPERTIES AND ACTION –
Rasa : Kashaya, Amla
Guna : Guru
Virya : Ushna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Vataghna, Saraka
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Dadhika Ghrita
THERAPEUTIC USES – Daha, Kshaya, Rakta Vikara, Atisara
DOSE – 1-3 g. of powder.
