Jatamansi

JATAMANSI

Synonyms

Indian spike nard, Nard.

Biological Source

Jatamansi consists of dried rhizomes of Nardostachys jatamansi D.C., belonging to family Valerianaceae.

Characteristics

The rhizomes are dark grey in colour and are crowned with reddish-brown tufted fibres, it has a highly agree-able and aromatic odour and acrid, slightly bitter and aromatic taste. The rhizomes are 2.5 to 7.5 cm in length and having elongated and cylindrical shape. The fibres present on the rhizomes are the remaining of leaf bases. Rhizomes break easily and internally they are reddish-brown in colour.

                       Nardostachys jatamansi

Chemical Constituents

Jatamansi contains 1 to 2% of pale yellow volatile oil, resin, sugar, starch and bitter principle, an alcohol and its isovaleric ester. It also contains jatamansic acid and ketones jatamansone and nardostachone.

Chemical Test

Add 2 g of powder to 5 ml of 80% alcohol and shake for ten minutes and filter it. Place one drop of filtrate on filter paper, dry it, and examine under UV light. It shows bluish white fluorescence.

Uses

Jatamansi is used as a sedative, antispasmodic, diuretic, emmenagogue, and stomachic. It is stimulant in small doses and also useful in epilepsy, hysteria, and palpitation of heart. The oil possess antiarrhythmic activity and also used as a flavouring agent in the preparation of medicinal oil. The oil is used as hair tonic, since it is reported to promote the growth of hair and it also imparts blackness to the hair.

Marketed Products

It is one of the ingredients of the preparations known as Abana, Rumalaya gel, Mentat, Anxocare (Himalaya Drug Company), and Dasmularishta, Mahamarichadi tail (Dabur).