@article {1308, title = {Botanical Pharmacognosy of Bacopa monnieri (Linn.) Pennell}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Journal}, volume = {12}, year = {2020}, month = {November 2020}, pages = {1559-1572}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {1559}, abstract = {

Backgound: B. monnieri (Linn.) Pennell is a slender, creeping and mat forming herb well adapted to grow in both terrestrial and submersed conditions. It is an important medicinal plant belongs to the family Plantaginaceae and espoused as a source for the Ayurvedic drug brahmi. Objectives: The present study aims to delineate the morphological and histomorpho diagnostic profile of the stem, root and leaves of brahmi and analyze their qualitative and quantitative anatomical peculiarities to support the pharmacobotanical characterizations using digital, stereo and polarized microscopic techniques. Results: Cross section of lamina had shown a homogeneous mesophyll fails to differentiate into palisade and spongy tissues. Lamina was amphistomatic which contained three different types of stomatal complexes vz., diacytic, anisocytic and anomoteracytic. The mean number of stoma per square millimeter of leaf area was found to be higher in adaxial surface (656.9/mm2) than abaxial (433.3/mm2) with a corresponding stomatal index of 15.2 and 9.4 respectively. Adventitious root in cross section gave {\textquoteleft}spokes in a wheel{\textquoteright} appearance and shoot cortex architecture had shown honey-comb pattern of aerenchyma chambers. Vascular bundles were many, conjoint and closed, where a centra solid core of xylem encircled by phloem. Crystal ideoblasts of calcium oxalate were observed in characteristic tissues of epidermis of the leaves, mesophyll, cortical tissues of stem, and intervening walls of the file of cells of diaphragms in stem and adventitious roots. Conclusion: The above delineated anatomical characteristics in conjunction with aerenchyma in root and shoot tissues as an effective water tolerance mechanism to thrive prolonged submergence in water logged conditions could provide valuable tags as useful markers for pharmacological identification of the taxon.

}, keywords = {Aerenchyma, Anisocytic stomata, Calcium oxalate crystals, Plantaginaceae, Stomatal index}, doi = {10.5530/pj.2020.12.214}, author = {Madathilparambil Vasu Sudhakaran} } @article {805, title = {Micromorphology of Salt glands and content of marker compound Plumbagin in the leaves of Plumbago zeylanica Linn}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Journal}, volume = {11}, year = {2019}, month = {January 2019}, pages = {161-170}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {161}, abstract = {

Background: Salt glands are highly specialized epidermal structures developed in recretohalophytic plants, intended for salt storage (reservoir) and as a means to alleviate the salt stress of the saline habitat by exo-recreto releases excess salts from the mesophyll tissues to the surrounding environment. Plumbago zeylanica Linn belongs to the family Plumbaginaceae is an important medicinal plant and espoused as a source for the drug Chitraka. Aim: The present study concerns the delineation of micromorphological characteristics of the paradermal and cross sections of the leaf epidermis, lamina, salt glands, petiole and mucilage secreting glands of the calyx of the flowers of Plumbago zeylanica Linn. Materials and Methods: Delimiting the morpho-histological profile of the leaves and to develop the chromatogram of the methanol extract of the leaves and quantification of the marker compound plumbagin in the leaves using High Performance Thin- Layer Chromatographic (HPTLC) method. Results: Distribution of uniseriate, cruciate type clothing trichomes, characteristic contour of midrib, presence of amphistomatic epidermis with anisocytic stomata, crystals in idioblast of ground tissues of petiole and mesophyll, large palisade ratio, small stomatal index, multicellular salt gland structure with 8 cells, cuticular secretory cells, crescent shaped petiole, densely distributed mucilage secreting glands on the calyx of flowers were features characteristic of the taxon. The HPTLC finger printing profile of the leaves revealed six phyto-constituents. Densitometric scanning of plumbagin had shown the absorption spectra λ max at 270 nm. Spectral matching by overlaying the absorption spectra of standard marker compound with the phto-constituents present in the methanol extract of sample could fail to obtain any spectral matching at λ max 270 nm, suggestive that dried leaves of P. zeylanica did not contain any appreciable amount of Plumbagin. Calibration data obtained by polynomial regression had revealed that dried leaves of P. zeylanica Linn contained below 105 ng/μl of plumbagin in methanol extract of leaves.

}, keywords = {Absorption spectra, Chromatogram, Halophytes, Plumbagin, Salt glands, Stomatal index}, doi = {10.5530/pj.2019.1.27}, author = {Madathilparambil Vasu Sudhakaran} } @article {125, title = {Finger Printing of the Anatomical Markers, HPTLC Profile and Heavy Metals Content in the Leaves of Aristolochia indica Linn.}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Journal}, volume = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {December 2015}, pages = {117-126}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {117}, abstract = {

Background: Aristolochia indica Linn is now an endangered medicinal plant belonging to the family Aristolochiaceae. Many ethono-botanically important species of Aristolochia were found used in the traditional forms of medicine for the treatment of various illnesses. Aim: The present study concerns the microscopic, fluorescent, powder, quantitative microscopic characteristics of the leaves of Aristolichia indica Linn and its physico-chemical standards. Materials and Methods: Morpho-histological profile, Highperformance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) finger print profile, and heavy metals content of the leaves of Aristolichia indica Linn. Results: The presence of camptodromous pinnate venation with pentagonal shaped areoles with linear veinlet endings, non-glandular hooked trichomes, amphistomatic and anomocytic stomata, small palisade ratio, small stomatal index were the anatomical features characteristics of the taxon. Physico-chemical evaluation of the leaves gave moisture content of 10.5\%, total ash 12.7\%, acid insoluble ash 1.9\%, acid soluble ash 10.8\%. Highperformance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) identification of marker compound (Aristolochic acid I or (AAI)) in methanol extract of leaves was carried out. The developed HPTLC Chromatogram had revealed nine phytoconstutents in extract of leaf sample. The Rf value for Aristolochic acid I (C17H11NO7) was found to be 0.41 and densitometric scanning had shown \λmax at 318 nm for the marker compound. The content of marker constituent (AA I) present in shade-dried leaves of Aristochia indica Linn was estimated as 0.049\%. The Flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of elements had shown appreciable amounts of the elements such as Fe (0.5442 mg/g), Zn (0.026.82 mg/g), Ni (0.008 mg/g,) and Cu (0.002 mg/g) by dry weight of the leaves of Aristolichia indica. Conclusion: The present study suggests that the delineated characteristics of the leaves of A. indica, could tag as the identifying parameters to substantiate and authenticate the raw drugs from the spurious/adulterants materials and could also be effectively used for the regulatory perspectives and quality assessment of Aristololic acid \Ι in the medicinal formulation/finished products. The presence of important mineral elements inside this plant showed that it could be a nutritious plant and important to the human health.

}, keywords = {Areoles, Aristolic acid, Heavy metals., HPTLC finger print, Physico-chemical parameters, Stomatal index}, doi = {10.5530/pj.2016.2.4}, author = {Madathilparambil Vasu Sudhakaran} }