Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry of Kurchi Bark - A Drug Containing Steroidal Alkaloid

Synonyms

 Holarrhenna; Kurchi; Kuda

 Biological Source

 Kurchi bark consists of dried stem bark of Holarrhena antidysenterica Wall, belonging to family Apocynaceae.

 Geographical Source

 The plant is found throughout India.

 Cultivation and Collection

•        Kurchi is a shrub.

•        It is a deciduous laticiferous shrub or small tree having height of 9-10 m.

•        The bark is small and recurved both longitudinally and transversely.

•   The bark is collected from the tree by making suit-able transverse and longitudinal incisions.

•    The alkaloidal content is high soon after the rains when new shoots are produced which declines during winter months.

 Characteristics

·    Bark is small and recurved both longitudinally and transversely.

·  Colour: Outer surface is buff to reddish brown, inner surface cinnamon-brown, longitudinally striated

·   Size: Vary from piece to piece. and bears numerous prominent circular or transversely elongated horizontal lenticels and longitudinal wrinkles.

·     Odour is not distinct.

·     Taste:  Acrid and bitter

   

Fig. 1: Kurchi Bark

Microscopy: Transverse section

 ·         Cork is made up of uniformly arranged several layers of tangentially elongated cells.

·         Cortex is composed of thin-walled, irregular, polygonal parenchymatous cells containing starch grains and prismatic calcium oxalate crystals.

·         Groups of sclereids are scattered in the cortex; individual sclereid cells are more or less rounded-oval, thick-walled with numerous pits.

·         Phloem consists of phloem parenchyma similar to cortex, traversed longitudinally by medullary rays at regular intervals.

·         Medullary rays are narrow, one to two cells wide and almost straight.

Fig. 2:  Schematic Diagram of Transverse section of Kurchi Bark

Fig.3: Detailed Histological Diagram of Transverse section of Kurchi Bark

Chemical Constituents

·         Total Alkaloidal Content:  Vary from 1.1% to 4.72%.

·         Chief Constituent: Steroidal alkaloid - Conessine (20–30%).

·         Other alkaloids: Conarrhimine, conimine, conamine, conessimine, isoconessimine, dimethyl conkurchine and holarrhimine.

·         Other constituents: Gum, resin, tannin, lupeol and digitenol glycoside holadysone.

 

Fig. 4: Chemical Structure of Conessine

 Uses

• The bark of kurchi is used as stomachic, astringent, tonic and antidysentery.

·         It also has property of febrifuge and anthelmintic.

·         It helps to treat dropsy by rubbing the bark over the body.

·         It also helps to treat amoebic dysentery and diarrhoea.

  Adulterants

 Wrightia tinctori is an adulterant of kurchi.

 Marketed Products

§  Diarex PFS, Diarex Vet. (Himalaya Drug Company),

§  Mahamanjishthadi kwath (Patanjali)

§  Mahamanjisthadyarishta (Dabur)

§  Amree plus granules and Purodil capsules (Aimil Pharmaceuticals).

 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (MCQ)

1. Kurchi belongs to the family…………..
(a) Apocynaceae
(b) Asteraceae
(c) Lamiaceae
(d) Violaceae

2. Which part of the Kurchi plant is medicinally active………….
(a) Leaves
(b) Stem
(c) Bark
(d) Flower

3. The colour of the bark of Kurchi
(a) Yellow
(b) Brown
(c) Buff to reddish brown
(d) Red

4. Chemically, Kurchi bark is classified under a broad category of ………..
(a) Steroidal Alkaloid
(b) Steroidal Lactone
(c) Steroidal Triterpenoids

(d) Steroidal Glycosides

5. The principal constituents of Kurchi is………….

(a) Conessine
(b) Gum
(c) Resin
(d) Tannin

6. Kurchi bark is mainly used as…………
(a) Stomachic
(b) Astringent
(c) Anti-dysenteric
(d) Tonic

7. Kurchi bark contains one of the following microscopic character

(a) Stone cell
(b) Brown matter

(c) Cystolith

(d) Pitted xylem

8. Adulterant of kurchi bark is …………
(a) Wrightia tinctori
(b) Piper nigrum

(c) Cinchona officinalis
(d) Withania somnifera