Talk:Arka
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| Section/Chapter | Herb database/Arka |
|---|---|
| Botanical name(s) | Calotropis procera R. Br. |
| Family | Asclepiadaceae (as per API); Apocynaceae in current classification |
| Availability | Available |
| Contributors | Team Dravyaguna |
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Publisher | Charak Samhita Research, Training and Skill Development Centre |
| DOI | Awaited |
Calotropis procera R. Br., known in Ayurveda as Arka, is a shrub that yields a milky latex from all its parts. Its dried leaf is the official drug part in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API), where it is described as found wild more or less throughout India.[1] Ayurvedic toxicology describes the genus Calotropis as having two species, C. procera (Rakta arka) and C. gigantea (Sweta arka).[2]
English name
Madar, Madar tree
Therapeutic Use
Shvasa (dyspnoea), Gulma (abdominal lump), Krimiroga (worm infestation), Kandu (itching), Kushtha (skin diseases), Vrana (wounds and ulcers), Shotha (oedema), Shleshmodara roga, Pliharoga (splenic disorders), Arsha (haemorrhoids)[1]
Other Varieties / Other Botanical names
- Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton (name authority used in recent literature)[2]
Synonyms in Charak Samhita
Arka, Sadapushpi, Kshiraparna, Ashphot, Ravi, Bhanu, Tapana, Tulaphala, Vikirana.
Reference in Charak Samhita and its actions
| Sr.no. | Reference in Charak Samhita | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 1/114 | Shodhana (Ksheera) vriksha (Vamana and Virechana) (Therapeutic emesis and purgation) |
| 2 | Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 4/9(4) | Bhedaniya mahakashaya |
| 3 | Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 4/9(22) | Svedopaga mahakashaya |
| 4 | Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 14/31 | Dravya for Nadi Sweda |
| 5 | Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 14/42 | Dravya for Prastara Sweda |
| 6 | Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 14/43 | Dravya for Nadi Sweda |
| 7 | Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 26/49 | Veerya varnan |
| 8 | Cha.Sa.Sutra Sthana 27/132 | Phala Varga |
| 9 | Cha.Sa.Vimana Sthana 6/17 | Abhyantar Krimi Chikitsa |
| 10 | Cha.Sa.Vimana Sthana 8/135 | Vaman dravyani |
| 11 | Cha.Sa.Vimana Sthana 8/143 | Tiktaskandha |
| 12 | Cha.Sa.Kalpa Sthana 1/14 | Vamanarth |
| 13 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 3/267 | As an ingredient of Agurvadi taila |
| 14 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 7/57 | For Scrapping |
| 15 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 7/85 | Bahyaprayogarth lepa in mandal Kushth |
| 16 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 7/102 | Bahyaprayogarth tail in Kushth |
| 17 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 7/106 | Ingredient in Sweta-karavirapallavadhya Tail |
| 18 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 7/112 | Ingredient in Kanakakshiri Tail |
| 19 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 10/34 | Ingredient in Palankashadi tail |
| 20 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 14/44 | Used in avasechana in arsha roga |
| 21 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 14/49 | Used in dhupana |
| 22 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 14/57 | Used as lepa |
| 23 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 15/183 | Used in preparation of Chaturtha Kshara |
| 24 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 17/125 | As an ingredient of muktadhya churna |
| 25 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 21/126 | As an ingredient of Dantyadi lepa |
| 26 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 23/56 | As an ingredient of Mrita sanjivani agada |
| 27 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 23/209 | Used in the treatment of vrushchika visha |
| 28 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 23/216 | Used in the treatment of Gruhagodha visha |
| 29 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 23/244 | As an ingredient of Amruta ghrita |
| 30 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 25/87 | Used as vranaropaka kashaya |
| 31 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 25/95 | Used as Patra-aachhadana on vrana |
| 32 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 26/13 | Used to make Udavarta varti |
| 33 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 26/24 | Used as Udavarta nashaka yoga |
| 34 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 22/27 | As Pathya in Urustambha |
| 35 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 27/54 | As an ingredient of Vatsakadi Pralepa |
| 36 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 27/50 | As an ingredient of Utsadana Yoga |
| 37 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 29/148 | Apply lepa for Kaphaja Vatarakta |
| 38 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 30/71 | As an ingredient of Arkadi varti |
| 39 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 30/82 | For Yoni prakshalana |
| 40 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 30/109 | Used in the treatment of Karnini |
Ayurvedic pharmacological properties
| Sr.no. | Pharmacological criteria | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taste (rasa) | Pungent (katu), Bitter (tikta) |
| 2 | Potency (veerya) | Hot (ushna) |
| 3 | Post digestion effect (vipaka) | Pungent (katu) |
| 4 | Qualities (guna) | Light (laghu), Rough (ruksha), Sharp (tikshna) |
| 5 | Actions (karma) | Pacify kapha and vata; red variety pacifies kapha and pitta |
Properties as per API
| Sr.no. | Pharmacological criteria | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taste (rasa) | Katu, Tikta |
| 2 | Qualities (guna) | Laghu, Sara, Snigdha |
| 3 | Potency (veerya) | Ushna |
| 4 | Post digestion effect (vipaka) | Katu |
| 5 | Actions (karma) | Bhedana, Dipana, Krimighna, Vishaghna, Vranahara, Vatahrit, Shopha, Shvasahara |
Dose
250–750 mg of the drug in powder form.[1]
Important Formulations
As per A.P.I.[1]
- Arkalavana
Current availability
Available
- In India – Found wild more or less throughout India.[1]
Current researches
Phytochemical Composition
- Glycoside: Calotropin, the constituent listed for the leaf in the API.[1]
- Cardenolide glycosides (root bark): A new cardenolide glycoside, proceraside A, together with frugoside and calotropin, was isolated from the root bark of Calotropis procera; the compounds were cytotoxic to A549, U373 and PC-3 cancer cell lines in vitro.[3]
Pharmacological Activities & Therapeutic Efficacy
Experimental studies on Calotropis procera report anti-inflammatory, wound healing, antifungal and cytotoxic activities. Most of the evidence is in vitro or in animals, and clinical studies are lacking.[4]
Anti-inflammatory Action
Ayurvedic correlation: Shotha (API therapeutic use) and Shothahara karma.
- Mechanism: Aqueous and methanol extracts of the dried latex were tested in the rat paw oedema model against inflammation induced by histamine, serotonin, compound 48/80, bradykinin and prostaglandin E2.
- Scientific Evidence: The extracts inhibited oedema mainly through effects on histamine and bradykinin, and partly on prostaglandin E2. Against carrageenin they were more effective than phenylbutazone, and they reduced cellular infiltration.[5]
Wound Healing
Ayurvedic correlation: Vrana (API therapeutic use) and Vranahara karma.
- Scientific Evidence: An aqueous leaf extract (25 and 50 mg/kg) was tested in incision and excision wound models in Wistar rats. It significantly increased breaking strength and percentage wound contraction and shortened the epithelization period compared with controls. The same study also reported a lowering of serum total bilirubin in hyperbilirubinemic rats.[6]
Antifungal Action
Ayurvedic correlation: Kandu, Kushtha and Krimiroga (API therapeutic uses).
- Scientific Evidence: A methanolic leaf extract at 5 mg/mL showed significant in vitro antifungal activity against the fungal strains tested.[7]
Cytotoxic and Anticancer Potential (Calotropin)
- Mechanism: Calotropin, a cardenolide isolated from Calotropis procera and other milkweeds, inhibits the Na+/K+-ATPase pump, which is the first established mechanism of cardenolides, and shows cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing effects in many cancer cell lines.
- Scientific Evidence: The evidence is preclinical. No clinical trials of calotropin in cancer are available, and data on its adverse effects in humans are insufficient.[8]
Safety and Dosage
- Standard Therapeutic Dosage (API): 250–750 mg of the drug in powder form.[1]
- Toxicity: All parts of the plant exude a milky, toxic latex, and C. procera is reported to be more toxic than C. gigantea. The drug should therefore be used only in classical doses and under professional supervision.[2]
Summary of Therapeutic Profile
| Indication | Active Biomolecules | Primary Pharmacological Action |
|---|---|---|
| Inflammation / Shotha | Latex extracts (constituents not individually established) | Inhibition of histamine-, bradykinin- and PGE2-mediated oedema |
| Wounds / Vrana | Aqueous leaf extract | Increased breaking strength and wound contraction, shorter epithelization period |
| Fungal infections | Methanolic leaf extract | In vitro antifungal activity |
| Cancer (experimental) | Calotropin and other cardenolides | Na+/K+-ATPase inhibition, cytotoxicity in cancer cell lines |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Anonymous. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. Department of Ayush, Ministry of Health and Family welfare, Govt. of India, New Delhi, Part I. 1986; Volume I:13-14
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wadhwani, B. D.; Mali, D.; Vyas, P.; Nair, R.; Khandelwal, P. (2021). "A review on phytochemical constituents and pharmacological potential of Calotropis procera". RSC Advances. 11 (57): 35854–35878. doi:10.1039/d1ra06703f.
- ↑ Ibrahim, S. R. M.; Mohamed, G. A.; Shaala, L. A.; Moreno Y Banuls, L.; Kiss, R.; Youssef, D. T. A. (2014). "Proceraside A, a new cardiac glycoside from the root barks of Calotropis procera with in vitro anticancer effects". Natural Product Research. 28: 1322–1327. doi:10.1080/14786419.2014.901323.
- ↑ Parihar, G.; Balekar, N. (2016). "Calotropis procera: a phytochemical and pharmacological review". Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 40 (3): 115–131.
- ↑ Arya, S.; Kumar, V. L. (2005). "Antiinflammatory efficacy of extracts of latex of Calotropis procera against different mediators of inflammation". Mediators of Inflammation. 2005 (4): 228–232. doi:10.1155/MI.2005.228.
- ↑ Patil, R. A.; Makwana, A. B. (2015). "Anti-hyperbilirubinemic and wound healing activity of aqueous extract of Calotropis procera leaves in Wistar rats". Indian Journal of Pharmacology. 47 (4): 398–402. doi:10.4103/0253-7613.161262.
- ↑ Rasool, S.; Rashid, A.; Akram, M.; Sierra, F. G. (2024). "In vitro pharmacological evaluation of methanolic leaf extract of Calotropis procera for antifungal and anti-breast cancer activities". Toxicology Research. 13 (6): tfae186. doi:10.1093/toxres/tfae186.
- ↑ Rajkovic, J.; Novakovic, R.; Grujic-Milanovic, J.; Ydyrys, A.; Ablaikhanova, N.; Calina, D.; Sharifi-Rad, J.; Al-Omari, B. (2023). "An updated pharmacological insight into calotropin as a potential therapeutic agent in cancer". Frontiers in Pharmacology. 14: 1160616. doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1160616.