5.cascara Sagrada

Cascara sagrada

So urce Known as

Obtained from

Sacred bark Chittem bark

Rhamnus purshiana Rhamnaceae

Cultiv ation & collect ion • Raised from sedds which are sown 1.5 – 2mts apart • Collected when 9-15 yrs old from mid april to end of august in dry season • If cut in rainy season results in staining & blackening • Moss & epiphytes scraped off • Longitudinal incisions are made 5-10 cm apart • Trees cut down & bark removed in strips from branches

Drying • Dried in sun on racks raised 30cm above ground level or in shade • Or by hanging the strips over galvanised iron wires • Cork is always placed towards upper side to prevent darkening • Drying is completed in about 4 days • It is sheltered from rain & damp • Thus obtained one is called Natural cascara • Commercially it is comminuted to give small even fragments which are known as Evenised / processed / compact cascara • The medicinal value appears to increase when it is stored until it is about 4yrs

• Shape • Surface Outer

Descript ion Quills , channeled , curved or flat

Smooth , dark purplish brown Elongated lenticels More or less covered with silvery grey patches of lichens & gives a Greyish white colour Inner yellow - reddish brown or Nearly black Striated & with faint corrugations • Fracture Short in bark Shortly fibrous in phloem • Taste Bitter • Imparts yellow colour to the wrapped paper

Micr oscopy

• Cork Thin walled ,yellowish brown contents • Cortex Outer 6 layers collenchymatous Inner Thin cellulosic parenchyma with calciumoxalate Groups of sclereids • Pericycle Outside phloem & Contain sclereids & fibers • Phloem Tangentially elongated groups of Phloem fibers enclosed in Parenchymatous sheath containing calcium oxalate Alternate with sieve tubes & phloem parenchyma • Medullary rays 1- 5 cell wide , parenchymatous

CON STI TUE NTS • ALOE EMODINS derivatives – barbaloin ,chrysaloin • CASCAROSIDES – A , B , C , D • O-GLYCOSIDES from emodin oxanthrone , aloe emodin & chrysophanol • Fat • Glucose • Hydrolytic enzyme • Bitter lactone • Older barks contain most C - glycosides

Us es • In small doses Tonic Stomachic • In large doses Aperient Cathartic In Veterinary work

TE ST S •

Hydrolyse with dil H2SO4

• •

Extact with organic solvent Separate organic layer & shake with dil.NH3 solution

•

Ammoniacal layer separated - rose pink colour 2. Cork + caustic alkali purple