JAMBU (Stem Bark)
Jambhu consists of dried stem bark of Syzygium cuminii (Linn.) Skeels Syn. Eugenia jambolana Lam.; E. cuminii Druce. (Fam. Myrtaceae); a large evergreen tree, attaining a height of 30 m and a girth of 3.6 m with a bole up to 15 m, found throughout India upto an altitude of 1,800 m.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Mahajambu, Ksudrajambu
Assamese : Jam
Bengali : Jaam
English : —
Gujrati : Jambu, Jambuda
Hindi : Jomuna, Raja Jambu
Kannada : Merale, Jamneralae, Jambu, Neralamara
Kashmiri : —
Malayalam : Njaval, Naval
Marathi : Jambhool
Oriya : Jamukoli, Jamu, Jam
Punjabi : Jammu
Tamil : Naaval, Navval Sambu, Mahamaram, Nagal
Telugu : Nesedu
Urdu : Jamun
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Drug occurs in slightly curved or flat pieces, 0.5-2.5 cm thick, younger bark mostly channelled, external surface more or less rough and rugged due to exfoliation and vertical cracks, light grey to ash coloured, internal surface fibrous, rough, and reddish brown, fracture, short and splintery; taste, astringent.
b) Microscopic
Stem Bark -Mature bark shows a wide zone of cork differentiated into upper and lower cork zones, forming a rhytidoma; cork consisting of tangentially elongated rectangular cells, upper few layers thick, stratified and reddish-brown, having groups of 2-4 stone cells and crushed elements of phloem; lower cork thin and colourless; cork cambium not distinct; secondary phloem composed of sieve elements, and phloem rays; phloem parenchyma thin-walled and polyhedral in shape; stone cells, oval to angular, elongated; fibres aseptate; both stone cells and fibres single or in groups present throughout this region; phloem rays 1-4 cells wide; reddish-brown content, rosette crystals of calcium oxalate and simple, round to oval starch grains, measuring 5-11 µ in diameter Powder – Light brown; shows fragments of thin-walled cork cells, aseptate fibres; single or in groups, oval to angular, elongated, stone cells; rosette and prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate and simple, round to oval starch grains, measuring 5-11µ in diameter.
CONSTITUENTS – Tannins
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Kashaya
Guna : Ruksha
Virya : sita
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Grahi, Kaphahara, Pittahara, Vatala, Stambhaka, Krimidoshaghna
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Usirasava.
THERAPEUTIC USES – Atisara, Raktapitta.
DOSE – 10-20 g. of the drug for decoction.
