ASVAGANDHA
Asvagandha consists of dried mature roots of Withania somnifera Dunal. (Fam. Solanaceae), a perennial shrub, found in waste land, cultivated field and open grounds throughout India, widely cultivated in certain areas of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan , roots collected in winter, washed and cut into short pieces.
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Hayagandhi, Vijigandhi
Assamese : Ashvagandha
Bengali : Ashvagandha
English : —
Gujrati : Asgandha
Hindi : Asgandh
Kannada : Angarberu, Hiremaddina-gida
Kashmiri : Asagandh
Malayalam : Amukkuram
Marathi : Asagandha, Askagandha
Oriya : Aswagandha
Punjabi : Asgandh
Tamil : Amukkaramkizangu
Telugu : Pennerugadda
Urdu : Asgand
Urdu : Asgand
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Roots straight, unbranched, thickness varying with age. roots bear fibre-like secondary roots, outer surface buff to grey-yellow with longitudinal wrinkles, crown consists of 2-6 remains of stem base, stem bases variously thickened, nodes prominent only on the side from where petiole arises, cylindrical, green with longitudinal wrinkles, fracture, short and uneven, odour, characteristic, taste, bitter and acrid.
Roots straight, unbranched, thickness varying with age. roots bear fibre-like secondary roots, outer surface buff to grey-yellow with longitudinal wrinkles, crown consists of 2-6 remains of stem base, stem bases variously thickened, nodes prominent only on the side from where petiole arises, cylindrical, green with longitudinal wrinkles, fracture, short and uneven, odour, characteristic, taste, bitter and acrid.
b) Microscopic
Transverse section of root shows cork exfoliated or crushed, when present isodiamatric and non-lignified, cork cambium of 2-4 diffused rows of cells, secondary cortex about twenty layers of compact parenchymatous cells, phloem consists of sieve tubes, companion cells, phloem parenchyma, cambium 4-5 rows of tangentially elongated cells, secondary xylem hard forming a closed vascular ring separated by multiseriate medullary rays, a few xylem parenchyma.
Transverse section of root shows cork exfoliated or crushed, when present isodiamatric and non-lignified, cork cambium of 2-4 diffused rows of cells, secondary cortex about twenty layers of compact parenchymatous cells, phloem consists of sieve tubes, companion cells, phloem parenchyma, cambium 4-5 rows of tangentially elongated cells, secondary xylem hard forming a closed vascular ring separated by multiseriate medullary rays, a few xylem parenchyma.
CONSTITUENTS – Alkaloids and withanolides.
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Tikta, Kashiya
Guna : Laghu
Virya : Ushna
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Rasiyana, Vitakaphipaha, Balya, Vijikarana
Rasa : Tikta, Kashiya
Guna : Laghu
Virya : Ushna
Vipaka : Madhura
Karma : Rasiyana, Vitakaphipaha, Balya, Vijikarana
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Asvagandhidyarishta, Asvagandhidi Leha, Balisvagandha Likshidi Taila
THERAPEUTIC USES – sotha, Kshaya, Daurbalya, Vitaroga, Klaibya
DOSE – 3-6 g of the drug in powder form.
