Crude drug sample data base

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Crude drug name

Market nameAak ke phool
Formal nameArka
Other names　　　

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Aak phool (T), Aak phool (H), Yekkedagida huvvu (K), Erukkin poovu (M), Mandaramu puvu (Te), Erukkupu (Ta)
English nameDead Sea Apple, Milk Weed, Sodom Apple, Swallow Wort
Original plant nameCalotropis gigantea (Ait) R.Br., Dead Sea Apple, Milk Weed, Sodom Apple, Swallow Wort
Family nameApocynaceae
Used partClassificationPlant origin
Sub classification flower
Collection informationIndia, New Delhi, Hans Raj & Sons
Collection date1991/05/07
CollectorTsuneo Namba, et al.
TMPW No.12563

The capital city, provincial capital city or the representative　　
location of its administrative area is indicated.　　
Production area information
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28.6139391
77.20902120000005
Collection information
India,New Delhi
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Scientific information data base

Crude drug nameAyurvedic name or
Sanskrit name, English name		Arka, Dead Sea Apple, Milk Weed, Sodom Apple, Swallow Wort
SynonymsKsiradala, Pucchi, Pratapa, Ksirakantaka, Viksira, Bhaskara, Ksiri, Kharjughna, Sivapuspaka, Bhanjana, Ksiraparni, Savita, Vikarana, Suryahva, Sukaphala, Suklarka, Tapana, Sveta, Sitarka, Supuspa, Sanakaradi, Atyarka, Vrttamalika, Asphota, Vikirana, Ksirini, Surupini, Dughdhika, Sukaphala, Ksiravarna, Viksura, Dugdhika
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Original plant nameCalotropis gigantea (Ait) R.Br.
Family nameAsclepiadaceae
Used partWhole plant
Distribution areaThroughout India from Punjab and Rajasthan in the north to Kanyakumari in the south extending to Assam and West bengal in the east.
RemarksAbundant.
Common usesFlowers possess digestive and tonic properties are considered useful in controlling excessive secretion in the mouth, cough, difficult breathing, skin diseases, loose bowels, phantom tumour/tumor, swelling, asthma and digestive disorders. Flowers are mixed with black pepper and castor oil and are given in asthma. Flowers are considered stomachic. They are used in loss of appetite. Latex of the flowers is used to treat eczema.
Therapeutic usesKustha (skin diseases), Visa (poison), Kandu (itching), Vrana (wounds), Pliha (spleen disorders), Gulma (intestinal tumours/tumors), Udara (ascitic types), Krmi (worms), Bhuta (mental afflictions), Raktagulma (uterine tumours/tumors), Mutrakrcchra (urinary disorders), Karnasula (ear ache)
Chemical constituentCardiac glycosides
Calotropin (*C1), Frugoside (*C1), 4'-O-beta-D-Glucopyranosylfrugoside (*C1), Calotroposide A (*C4), Calotroposide B (*C4), Calotroposide C (*C5), Calotroposide D (*C5), Calotroposide E (*C5), Calotroposide F (*C5), Calotroposide G (*C5)

Flavones & Flavonols
Isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside (*C3), Isorhamnetin-3-O-glucopyranoside (*C3), Isorhamnetin-3-O-[2-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-6-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (*C3)

Amino acids & Peptides
Giganticine (*C2)

Pharmacological effectVarious extracts of the flowers show anti-fertility activity in experimental animals, the petroleum ether extract showed abortifacient activity.
Medical systemAyurveda (Traditional Indian medicine)
Traditional conceptRasa (Taste)Tikta (Bitter), Katu (Pungent)
Virya (Potency)Usna (Hot)
Guna (Quality)Laghu (Light), Ruksa (Dry), Tiksna (Sharp)
Vipaka
(Post digestive taste)		Katu (Pungent)
Dosakarma
(Action on dosa)		Decreases Vata Kapha
Dhatukarma(Action
on body tissues)		Medas (adipose tissue)
Mala
(Action on excretory mechanism)		Sara (laxative)
Avayava
(Action on organ)		Pliha (spleen), Karna (ear)
Traditional usage1. Root bark of Arka (Calotropis gigantea) dried in shade is pounded with lemon juice and pills are made of the size of Bengal gram. This Ravimuladi vati alleviates visucika (diarrhoea/diarrhea with indigestion and pain) caused by Kapha and Vata.

2. Fumigation with root of Arka and Sami (Prosopis cineraria) is beneficial for piles.

3. Latex of Arka stem of Snuhi (Euphorbia spp.), tender leaves of Katukalabu (bitter variety of Lagenaria spp.), Karanja (Pongamia pinnata) and goat's urine - this paste is one of the best remedies for piles.

4. Salts and tender leaves of Arka mixed with oil and sours are burned by closed heating. This alkali taken with tepid water alleviates piles caused by Vata.

5. One clove shaped part within the flower of Arka is smeared with oil and kept in the throat. It checks hiccough.

6. Parched grains or churned drink made of barley and mixed with leaf buds of Arka and honey relieves bronchial asthma.

7. For cough, in the morning sugar is soaked with 2-3 drops of latex of Arka and swallowed in the evening the diet being sweet and unctuous.

8. Powdered Samudraka (a type of salt) is impregnated with Arka latex and administered with cow milk in case of throat disorder in consumption.

9. Arka leaves mixed with salts are burnt by closed heating. This alkali should be taken with curd water in severe splenomegaly.

10. Root bark of Arka pounded with sour gruel is pasted on the affected part. It alleviates filaria.

11. Paste consisting of Arka latex, Japa (hibiscus) flower, oil and lac juice applied to the affected part destroys tumours/tumors of neck in a week.

12. Mustard oil cooked in juice of Arka leaves with the paste of Haridra (turmeric) destroys scabies and eczema.

13. Mustard oil mixed with realgar, orpiment, Marica (black pepper) and Arka latex should be applied externally to the part of leprosy.

14. Application of paste of Arka latex and Haridra removes black shade on the face.

15. Leaves of Arka are used for covering wound.

16. Oil cooked with latex of Snuhi and Arka along with bee wax heals chronic ulcers.

17. Powder of black gram is pounded with mustard oil and Arka latex and cooked by closed heating. This paste destroys head boils.

18. Paste of Arka singly also destroys itching, secretion, heat and pain.

19. Root of Arka is pounded and kept in water for a while. This eye drop is useful for vision and alleviates eye disorders. Similarly seeds of Arka cooked in milk alleviate defects of vision.

20. Leaf buds of Arka pounded with sours and mixed with oil and salt are kept within the divided stem of Snuhi, covered with the leaves of the same and heated (by the process of closed heating). The juice so extracted is instilled into the ear. It removes earache.

21. Mature leaf of Arka smeared with ghee and heated on fire is pressed to extract juice which is dropped into the ear in case of earache.

22. Filling with the latex of Saptaparna (Alstonia scholaris) and Arka allays organisms and pain.

23. Powder of the root bark of Arka mixed with Dhattura (Datura metel) and Karavira (Nerium indicum) and taken with cold water destroys snake poison.

24. Sesamum paste and oil, Arka latex and jaggery all combined together destroys the poison of dog bite. The patient should also be evacuated with the formulation having Arka latex.

25. Flower of Arka mixed with oil promotes bleeding.

26. Root of Arka pounded with cow's urine is pasted on the boils and thus subside.

27. Arka latex is useful for both emesis and purgation.

28. The paste of the root bark of Arka pounded with sour gruel alleviates even the severe scrotal enlargement.
FormulationArkalavana, Arka taila, Arkesvara, Samsodhana ghrta
Related drugsCalotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton
CommentsAnother variety of Arka is called Rajarka - Its synonyms are Vasuka, Alarkam, Mandara, Ganarupaka, Kasthila, Sadapuspa, Sivasekhara, Dirghapuspa, Sivamallika, Suka, Pratapasa, Mahapasupati.

According to the flower colour, Calotropis procera (white flowers) and C. gigantea can be correlated respectively.

Flower of Alarka is aphrodisiac, light, good for digestive mechanism, lack of appetite, cold, piles and respiratory desorders. Flower of red variety is sweet, bitter, good for skin diseases, worms, kapha, piles, poison, bleeding disorders, intestinal tumours/tumors, oedema, rat poison. It is constipative. Latex is bitter, hot, unctuous, salty, light, good for skin diseases, intestinal tumours/tumors and a good laxative.

Arka is included in Sadsodhanavrksa, Bhedaniya, Vamanopaga, Svedopaga groups od Caraka and Adhobhagahara and Arkadi of Susruta.
ReferencesReference book　

Tips！

[2] Indian Medicinal Plants - A Compendium of 500 species, Varier, P.S., Orient Longman Ltd. Chennai (Madras)
Vol. 1 (Repr.1996), pp 341-345.

Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants, 1956. Chopra, R.N., Nayar, S.L. and Chopra, I.C., Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, New Delhi. - New Edition (1996) National Institute Science Communication; Supplement
pp 46-47.

Illustrated Manual of Herbal Drugs Used in Ayurveda, 1996. Sarin, Y.K., Council of Scientific & Industrial Research and Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi
p 180.

Ayurvedic Drugs and Their Plant Sources, 1994. Sivarajan, V.V. and Balachandran, I., Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
pp 52-53.

Plants in Ayurveda (A Compendium of Botanical and Sanskrit Names), 1997. Abdul Kareem, M., Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions, Bangalore
301.

Dravyagunavijnana, Vols. 1-5, reprint 1998. Sharma, P.V., Chowkhambha Bharati Academy, Varanasi
Vol. 2, pp 433-436.

Classical uses of Medicinal Plants, 1996. Sharma, P.V., Chaukhambha Visvabharati, Varanasi
p 19.

Research paper*C1 Kiuchi, F., Fukao, Y, Murayama, T., Obata, T., Tanaka, M., Sasaki, T., Mikage, M., Haque, M. E. and Tsuda, Y.; Chem. Pharm. Bull., 46, 528-30 (1998).
*C2 Pari, K., Rao. P. J., Devakumar, C. and Rastogi, J. N.; J. Nat. Prod., 61, 102-104 (1998).
*C3 Sen, S., Sahu, N. P. and Mahato, S. B.; Phytochemistry, 31, 2919-21 (1992).
*C4 Kitagawa, I., Zhang, R., Park, J. D., Beak, N. I., Takeda, Y, Yoshikawa, M. and Shibuya, H.; Chem. Pharm. Bull., 40, 2007-13 (1992).
*C5 Shibuya, H., Zhang, R. S., Park, J. D., Beak, N. I, Takeda, Y., Yoshikawa, M. and Kitagawa, I.; Chem. Pharm. Bull., 40, 2647-53 (1992).
Last renewal date2024/01/16
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