Elaeocarpus ganitrus- The holy tree synonymous with Siva, Ruraksha, रुद्राक्ष , രുദ്രാക്ഷം , रुद्रक, রুদ্রাক্ষ , ರುದ್ರಾಕ್ಷ .

Elaeocarpus sphaericus- Rudraksha

Rudraksha is a very sacred plant according to hindus. The fruits of this plant are worn around neck as a mark of belief and devotion. Above of the aspect of devotion it is used to allieviate heart problems and mental distress.

Family : Elaeocarpaceae

Scientific name : Elaeocarpus sphaericus, Elaeocarpus ganitrus

Vernacular nomenclature in India

Sanskrit : rudraksha, bhootanaashana, neela kandaksha, shivaksha, shivapriya

Hindi : rudra, rudrak

Bengali : rudraksha

Tamil : rudraksha, karichankamani

Kannada : rudraksha

English : Rosary nut, Rudraksh tree

Distribution : Assam, Bengal, Nepal, Himalaya are the habitation of this tree.

Botanical description :

Rudraksha grows in the area from the Gangetic plain in the foothills of the Himalayas to South-East Asia, Nepal, Indonesia, New Guinea to Australia, Guam, and Hawaii. Rudraksha seeds are covered by an outer shell of blue colour when fully ripe, and for this reason are also known as blueberry beads. The blue colour is not derived from pigment but is structural. It is an evergreen tree that grows quickly. The rudraksha tree starts bearing fruit in three to four years. As the tree matures, the roots buttress rising up narrowly near the trunk and radiating out along the surface of the ground.

Chemical constituents :

Action _ Fruit—used for epileptic

fits and headache. Powdered

fruits (. g) mixed with warm

water are given two/three times

daily in asthma. Stem bark—

hypoglycaemic.

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India

indicated the use of the seed in hypertension,

insomnia, psychoneurosis

and mental diseases.

The fruits contain palmitic, isopalmitic,

linoleic and myristic acids.

Leaves gave alkaloids—rudrakine, (+)-

elacocarpine and (+)-iso-elacocarpine;

phenolics—quercetin, gallic acid and

ellagic acid. EtOH (%) extract of

stem bark—hypoglycaemic. Aqueous

extract of fruits—sedative, hypotensive,

spasmolytic, anticonvulsant,

choleretic, bronchodilatory and

cardiostimulant.

The fruit of E. oblongus Mast. non-

Gaertn., synonym E. glandulosus Wall.

ex Merrill (Western Ghats) is used in

mental disorders and tetanus

Ayurvedic pharmacoepia :

Rasa : madhura

Guna : guru, snigdha

Veerya : sheeta

Vipaka : madhura

Medicinal uses :

रुद्राक्षं अमलं उष्णं च वातघ्नं कफनाशनं

शिरो पित्त शमनं रुच्यं भूतग्रह विनाशनं

It allieviates vata pitta vikaras. It also cures burning sensation and mental worries. It pacifies nerve disorders. It enhances contraction and expansion of heart and lungs. It reduces elevated blood pressure. It cures diseases of the head. It is believed to eradicate abnormal psychic manifestations.

Useful parts : fruit

Therapeutic uses :

-1-3 gm rudraksha powder mixed with warm water taken in morning and evening is used to cure small pox, chicken pox, measels

-rudraksha, licorice,aswagandha when taken in equal proportions of 3gms and mixed in milk and taken cures food poisoning

-for respiratory problems of children 1decigram-4decigram of powdered rudraksha when mixed with honey taken thrice daily for five days cures it

Modern Pharmaco

Modern Pharmaco - Therapeutic Studies Of Elaeocarpus Ganitrus Roxb ( Rudrakshas): Rudraksha stimulates the mental faculty and also activises the human body mechanism and keeps the man healthy by body, mind and spirit and also is having powerful control on vital force of the human body. Rudrakshas are identified as elaeocarpus ganitrus Roxb. In 1864 Mr. John Garret took keen interest on these beads and worked a lot on them. Then Lt. Col. Kerbeer Drory did a botanical study on the Rudraksha. Mr Paul Hume a Englishman concludes in his study that nothing is impossible with Rudraksha for it can change the wearer’s health condition and fate and hypnotise people depending upon its mode and method of usage. The latest research result in on wearing Rudraksha necklace or Rudraksha mala in helping to radiate our the accumulated static electricity growing due to internal bio electrical current flow and radiating out the accumulated charge in outer space thereby allowing the free circulation and the uniform distribution. According to glossary of Indian medicinal plants by R.N. Chopra on page 105 Rudraksha fruits are used in the treatment of Neurological diseases and on the basis of pharmacological experiments, it was claimed that Rudraksha works as central nervous system depressant, anticonvulsant, cardiac stimulant, smooth muscle relaxant. Hypotensive and Hypoglycemic.  A close look at the chemistry part of this seed reveals the following properties. Phsio-Chemical Properties Fatty Acid Composition Moisture  8.87 Oil %   0.68 Colour of Oil   pale yellow Consistency Liquid Refractive index 1.4650 Specific gravity 0.9300 Saponification value 176.30 Saponification equivalent 317.8 IV 72.28 AV 34.89 Unsaponifiable matter  3.76 Oil Steam Distilled Product 12:0  0.3 - 14:0  0.4 1.78 16:0 51.7  61.78 Isopalmitic Trace - 8:0  41.6 14.18 Isostearic 0.2    - 18:1  5.8 19.73 18:2 Trace 2.73 This fraction also showed the following biological activity: ·         Anti bacterial ·         Anti fungal ·         Anti protozoal ·         Anti helminthic ·         Anti viral ·         Effect on CNS and ·         Anti cancer properties From the above it is understood that not only the seeds, but also the other parts of the tree exhibit valuable pharmacological activity. The alcoholic extract of the stem Bark of E Ganitrus showed Hypoglyceraemic activity. Rudraksha Water Anlaysis Report: After 24 Hours Sample-I Sample-II - PH 5.8 1. Ph 4.8 E Conductivity 1535 E Conductivity 375 2. Cod (Chemical Oxygen Demand) 4.800 Mg / Lit            200mg /Lit After 48 Hours Sample-I Sample-II 1. Ph 4.8 Ph 5.7 2. E Conductivity 665 60 3. Cod 11.2 Mg/Lit 152 Mg/Lit Survey Report: It is evident from the subjective survey, that 30 percent people use it for spiritual purpose, 35 percent for mental troubles and 35 percent for cardiac troubles. “As regards its effect, cardiac patients found to get 85 percent relief, followed by 71 percent relief mental troubles and 50 percent in spiritual group”. These findings clearly indicate that Rudraksha has more therapeutic values an compared to spiritual values. These pharmacological effects indicate that Rudraksha contains more than one active principles in the extract of E.gamitrus substantiates the use of plant fruit in the treatment. The pharmacological profile of activities of the treatment of mental disorders, convulsions, hypertension and cardiac diseases as mentioned in the ancient Ayurvedic system of medicine.

PHARMACOGNOSTIC INVESTIGATION OF ELAEOCARPUS GANITRUS Roxb. LEAF AND SEED

ABSTRACT
Elaeocarpus ganitrus Roxb. (Family: Elaeocarpaceae) commonly known as Rudraksha.Rudraksha beads, the holy beads scientifically called as Elaeocarpus Ganitrus. It possesses good medicinal value and with religious, medicinal and spiritual significances. Present investigation deals with macroscopic, microscopic. Microscopic studies revealed the presence of cuticle, epidermis, collenchyma, vascular bundle, xylem and phloem, hard endocarp, seeds with membranous seed coat.

INTRODUCTION
Plants of the genus Elaeocarpus have been reported to be of use as traditional medicines, particularly in India.Elaeocarpus ganitrus (syn: Elaeocarpus sphaericus; Elaeocarpaceae) is a tree found in the Himalayan region of India. The fruits of this plant are commonly known as Rudraksha and have been used in Ayurvedic traditional medicine for the treatment of mental diseases, epilepsy, asthma, hypertension, arthritis and liver diseases [1]. Traditionally the plant is used to treat various diseases. Anatomical characterization of plants used in traditional medicines has been carried out to evolve standards for genuine source plant from the spurious ones. The different treatise on medicinal plants had mentioned different uses of parts or products [2]. Survival and growth of tree seedlings are determined by the interactive influence of biotic and Abiotic factors of the forest environment. The effects of certain factors such as light intensity soil moisture, soil temperature pathogen have been studied on seedlings growing in natural or in Control conditions [3].

Rudraksha is used in Ayurveda for mental diseases, epilepsy, asthma, hypertension, arthritis and liver diseases [4]. Alkaloids are reported to be the major phytoconstituents of E.sphaericus. These include, Elaeocarpidine, Elaeocarpine [5]. Rudrakine [6]. Flavonoids are also reported to the phytoconstituents of E.sphaericus. It includes quercetin [7].

Rudraksha is growing in suitable climatic regions with temperature ranges of 25-30 degree centigrade. These trees start giving fruit after 7-years. Here is the percentage compositions of gaseous elements present in a Rudraksha is C-H-N which Analyze by Gas chromatography. These percentages are 50.031 % C, 0.95% N, 17.897% H and 30.53% O.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Collection of the plant materials
The leaves and seeds of Rudraksha were collected from Bahrich in 2011 from Uttar Pradesh, India. The plant was identified and authenticated by Dr. Tariq Husain, National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow. The voucher specimen (98159) has been deposited in herbarium. Healthy plant parts were selected carefully for the purpose of study.

Morphological Studies
Organoleptic examinationrefers to evaluation by means of organ of sense and includes the macroscopic appearanceof the leaf and seed, its odour and tastes, occasionally the sound or ‘snap’ of its fracture and the feelof the leaf and seed to the touch [8]. The morphological & organoleptic characters of the leaf were studied [9, 10].

Microscopical study of leaf
Free hand sectioning was done for fresh leaves and seeds. Under microscopical examination transverse sectionof leaf and seed were studied, sectionsof leaf and seed were made and observed under Compound microscope [8]. Free hand transverse sections of the fresh leaf were taken and treated with various reagents and observed. The result of microscopical study of leaf and seed were shown in figure.

RESULT
Macroscopic Examination
The macroscopical study of the leaf and seed results obtained and tabulated in table no.1 and table no. 2.

Microscopical Examination
Observed characters in transverse section of leaf: cuticle, epidermis, collenchymas, palisade and vascular bundles. Vascular bundle shows collateral type closed vascular bundle.

Observed characters in transverse section of seed: seed, stony endocarp, endosperm and outer seed coat.

Conclusion and Discussion
Pharmacognostic analysis including physico-chemical evaluation is meant for identification, authentication, and detection of adulteration and also compilation of quality control standards of crude drugs. Microscopic study of powder revealed the presence of anomocytic stomata, oval, rounded starch grains, pitted xylem vessels, which are present in bundles and also clusters type of calcium oxalate crystals. Chemo microscopy revealed the presence of starch grains, lignin and calcium oxalate crystals. The quantitative determination of some Pharmacognostic parameters is useful for setting standards for crude drugs. The stomatal number, stomatal index, vein-islet number, vein-termination number relatively constant for plants and can be used to differentiate closely related species [2].