Verification of botanical source of Arimeda: a textual based study .

Abstract

Arimedadi Taila is one of the Ayurvedic medicines used for a wide range of oral and dental diseases and named after the main ingredient Arimeda. The original formula of this oil is mentioned in Chakradatta and has later been included in Sri Lankan texts too. In Sinhala translation of Chakradatta, Arimeda is translated as Guranda which is different and not even used as a substitute for Arimeda. The aim of this study was to verify the botanical source of Arimeda in Sri Lankan ora and investigate the textual references for its pharmaceutical utility in indigenous medicine. The primary data were collected from Ayurvedic classics and Nighantus and secondary data were gathered from Ayurverda Pharmacopeia of India and other literary research published by various scholars. The data were analyzed comparatively based on check lists and were critically reviewed on the basis of scholarly opinions. A eld survey was carried out to nd out the sources of Arimeda in market and raw material used to prepare Arimedadi Taila in Sri Lanaka. As ofcially declared in Ayurveda Pharmacopeia of India, the botanical name of Arimeda is Acacia leucophloea. The botanical name of Gurenda is Celtis timorensis which is botanically different, bearing no morphological or pharmacological similarities with Arimeda. Acacia leucophloea is naturally grown in dry zone of Sri Lanka and locally known as Katu Andara which has been included in the National Red List of 2012 published by IUCN. The Sinhala translation of Ashtangahradya has mentioned Gurenda for the synonym Vitkadira which gives a partly similar meaning with Gurenda. At present only four companies manufacture Arimedadi Taila in Sri Lanaka and only one company uses Acacia leucophloea as Arimeda for the product and others use Gurenda for the oil. The raw material used as Arimeda should be further veried through pharmacognostic methods on the market samples and standerdize Arimedadi Taila.