Synonym: Jagli Pyas, sea onion, scilla

Biological source: It consist of dried slice bulb of Urginea indica

Family: Liliaceae

Macroscopical characters:

• • Colour: Yellowish to white

  • Odour: Slight and characteristic

  • Taste: bitter, mucilaginous and acrid

  • Size: 30 to 60 mm in length and 3 to 4 mm broad

  • Shape: slice of Indian squill is in united in groups of 4 to 8 which are curved.

  • Indian Squill has about 15 cm diameter. The squill slices are translucent in nature and after absorbing moisture it become flexible and tough.

Chemical constituents: Indian squill contains

• • • 0.3 % of cardiac glycosides. Mucilage (about 40%) and calcium oxalate.

    • Scillaren A and scillaren B

    • Whereas Scillaren B yields Proscillaridin B and Scillaridin B respectively.

    • The drug also contains glucoscillaren A and an enzyme scillarenase.

    • The drug also contains Xanthoscillide, flavonoids, mucilage,

    • Calcium oxalate, sinistrin (a carbohydrate similar to inulin), and a volatile substance which causes irritation:

Hydrolysis of Squill Glycosides

Uses

• It is a cardiotonic without cumulative effect.

• It is also used in chronic bronchitis as an expectorant in small doses, while in higher doses causes emesis.

• It is also found to possess anti-cancer activity against human epidermoid carcinoma of the nasopharynx. In tissue culture.

Adulterants

• Commercial samples of indian squill in the market many a time contain Scilla hyacintoiana

Chemical test:

• Mesophyll stains red with alkaline colarin solution and reddish purple with 0.1 M Iodine solution.

Red Squill

• It is a red variety of European squill i.e. Urginea maritima.

• The red colour is due to red anthocyanin pigments present in mesophyll cells of scaly-leaves.

• Red squill contains glycoside called scilliroside and scillirubroside. It is used as a rat poison.

References:

1. Trease D. & Evans W.C.: Text Book of Pharmacognosy: W.B. Saunders.

2. Tyler V. E. Brady L. R. & Robbers J. E.: Pharmacognosy; Lea Feibger, USA.

3. Wallis T. E.; Text Book of Pharmacognosy; CBS Publishers, Delhi.

4. Kokate C. K., Purohit A. P. & Gokhale S. B.: Pharmacognosy; Nirali Publications, Pune.

5. Harbone J. B.: Phytochemical Methods: A guide to modern techniques Analysis: Chapman & Hall, London.

6. Bruneton J.: Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants: Intercept Limited.