Original Articles: 2012 Vol: 4 Issue: 1
Phytochemical and pharmacognostical studies of the leaves of Myxopyrum serratulum A. W. Hill
Abstract
Myxopyrum serratulum (Fam. Oleaceae) is commonly known as ‘Chaturmallai’ in Tamil and ‘Chaturdharalata’ in Sanskrit. In Ayurveda the leaves of the plant is used as astringent, acrid, sweet, thermogenic, anodyne, febrifuge and tonic. The whole plant has considerable Ethnobotanical uses in head ache, asthma, cough, fever, nerves, otitis, rheumatism and wounds. In order to ensure the use of genuine and authentic material in the preparation of herbal formulations, pharmacognostical and phytochemical methods of standardization of the plant has been carried out in the present work. Macroscopic, microscopic, powder microscopic and physico-chemical characters of the leaves of M. serratulum has been carried out. Preliminary phytochemical analysis and thin layer chromatographic studies have been performed on the various extracts of the leaves of M. serratulum. All these pharmacognostical and phytochemical studies can be used as a diagnostic tool for the correct identification of the plant and also to test adulteration if any.