அமுக்கிரா கிழங்கு - Withania somnifera

அமுக்கிரா கிழங்கு -  Withania somnifera

சுவை - கைப்பு 

வீரியம் - வெப்பம் 

பிரிவு - கார்ப்பு 

செய்கை -

இலை -  Febrifuge

காய் - Diuretic

கிழங்கு - Alterative

                    Aphrodisiac

                    Deobstruent

                    Diuretic

                    Tonic

                    Soporific

                    Sedative

குணம்

கொஞ்சந் துவர்ப்பாங் கொடியகாயம் சூளையரி

மிஞ்ச்சு கரப்பான் பாண்டு வெப்பதப்பு - விஞ்சி

முசுவுறு தோடமும் போ மோகம் அன லுண்டாம் 

அசுவகந் திக் கென்றறி.

                                                                                   - அகத்தியர் குணவாகடம் 

Active constituents

The main constituents of amukkara are alkaloids and steroidal lactones. Among the various alkaloids, withanine is the main constituent. The other alkaloids are somniferine, somnine, somniferinine, withananine, pseudo-withanine, tropine, pseudo-tropine, cuscohygrine, anferineand anhydrine. Two acyl steryl glucosides, sitoindoside VII and sitoindoside VIII, have been isolated from root. The leaves contain steroidal lactones, which are commonly called withanolides. The withanolides have C28 steroidal nucleus with C9 side chain and a six-membered lactone ring

Withaferin-A

Withaferin-A (WA) is a bioactive compound derived from Withania somnifera, which inhibits Notch-1 signaling and downregulates prosurvival pathways, such as Akt/NF-κB/Bcl-2, in three colon cancer cell lines (HCT-116, SW-480, and SW-620) Recent research in mice suggests that Withaferin-A may have anti-metastatic activity.

Pharmacological effects in vitro

Amukkara   is reported to have anti-carcinogenic effects in animal and cell cultures by decreasing the expression of nuclear factor-kappaB, suppressing intercellular tumor necrosis factor, and potentiating apoptotic signalling in cancerous cell lines.

Preparation of KAARANOOL

The threads are prepared on surgical linen size 20 by repeatedly smearing it with the latex of euphorbia neriifolia and a combination of certain vegetable caustics grown on a large scale in India and other parts of Southern Asia. These substances are:

1.      Fresh latex collected from the plant euphorbia neriifolia (euphorbiaceae family) by stabbing the stem at various places (figure 1).

2.      A specially prepared alkaline powder derived from the plant achyranthes aspera (amaranthaceac family).This powder is obtained by the evapouration of the filtered soloution of burnt ashes of this plant in water. This method is indigenous to the Indian system of medicine and is termed "Kaaranool". The powder thus obtained, is also caustic and is locally used as a debriding agent in chronic non healing ulcers. It has a pH range of 8 to 9.2.

3.      A fine powder of the dried rhizomes of curcuma longa, (ascitaminacea family). These rhizomes are commonly used as ingredient of spice and are commonly termed as tumeric.