This document summarizes information about Acorus, a plant known as calamus, sweet flag, or Bach. It notes that Acorus rhizomes are the dried roots used medicinally. The rhizomes are brown, aromatic, and bitter tasting cylindrical roots that are 5-15cm long. Acorus contains 1.5-3.5% volatile oil including asarone, along with starch, resin, and tannins. It is native to Europe and Asia and cultivated in India. Acorus is used as a carminative, bitter stimulant, vermifuge, in perfumes, as an insect repellent, and to flavor foods and preserve grains. It also has

1. Acorus
Ashok Kumar Mourya 9th Batch B.pharm
Universal college of medical science
Presentation

2.  Synonyms:- calamus, Bach, Ghoda vaj , Sweet flag.
 Biological source:- These are the dried rhizomes of the
plant known as Acorus calamus Linn.
 Family:- Araceae
 Specifications:- It should contain not less than 1.5%
percent of volatile oil.

3. Geographical Source:-
 Calamus is native of East Europe and is found wild in
England.
 It is chiefly collected in Holland, North America,most of
the European countries and in central Asia.
 In India it is cultivated as well as found wild in Himalayas
and also in Sikkim.

4. Morphology
Rhizomes

5. Macroscopic characters:-
Colour:- Rhizomes are brown in colour.
Odour:- Characteristics and aromatic
Taste:- Bitter, pungent, and disagreeable.
Shape:- The rhizomes are cylindrical and branched. They are somewhat
shrunken and with deep longitudinal wrinkles.
Size:- 5-15cm in length and 1-2 cm in thickness.

6. Chemical constituents
 The drug contains 1.5-3.5 % of volatile oil, starch,resin (2.5%) and tannins (1.5%).
 Volatile oil also contain asaraldehyde.
 Asarone
 Eugenol
 Bitter amorphous (acorine)
Asarone

7. Uses
 Carminative
 Bitter stimulant
 Vermifuge
 Volatile oil as perfumery
 Insects repellant
 Flavouring gin,beer
 Preservatives of food grains
 In India,used in epilepsy and depression.
 Asarone has sedative and tranqillising properties.

9. Thank you 💗