COMPARATIVE PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF MESUA FERREA LINN. AND OCHROCARPUS LONGIFOLIUS BENTH AND HOOK ? SOURCES OF NAGAKESARA

Among the vast varieties of Ayurvedic drugs, the Nagakesara is a popular drug which is a tree of tropical Asia and belongs to the family Clusiaceae (syn. Guttiferae). Various parts of the plant are used medicinally e.g., the flowers are said to be astringent, stomachic, expectorant and useful in bleeding piles. The flower buds are used in dysentery. The unripe fruits are aromatic and sudorific. The leaves and flowers are used in the treatment of snake-bite and scorpion-bite. It is a brain tonic, appetizer, antiemetic, anthelminthic, aphrodisiac and diuretic. The drug Nagkesara is among the Chaturjata. It is also found as an ingredient in many of the Ayurvedic formulations as in Vyaghrihareetaki avaleha, Dashmularishta and many more. But due to lots of confusions, there is a need to study the position of Nagakesara in the crude drug market. It was found that there is a lot of confusion regarding the acceptance of genuine drug under the name Nagakesara. As there is scarcity and unavailability of Nagkesara, also due to lack of awareness, instead of Nagkesara, the pratinidhi dravya like Surpunnag, punnag, tamal patra are used commonly. The properties i.e. rasa, guna, virya and vipaka of Surpunnaga are almost same as Nagakesara. Because of this reason, Ochrocarpus longifolius is used in various important Ayurvedic formulations like Shunthikhanda etc.