Abstract

PHYTOPHARMACEUTICAL STANDARDIZATION OFTHE LEAVES AND STEMS OF JUSTICIA INSULARIS T.ANDERS (ACANTHACEAE)

Umoh Romanus A.*, Umoh Uwemedimo F., Thomas Paul S., Johnny Imoh I., Eseyin Olorunfemi A. and Essiett Uduak A.

Abstract

In recent times, there has been an increase in consciousness of the need for standardization of medicinal plants with potential therapeutic uses. Justicia insularis is used in the treatment of chest and heart problems, labour pains and dysmenorrhoea. This study is aimed at evaluating the pharmacognostic parameters of leaves and stems of J. insularis. These include microscopy, micromeritics, chemomicroscopy, moisture contents, ash values, soluble extractive values, fluorescence properties using standard procedures. The results obtained from microscopy were amphistomatic distribution of stomata, sinuous cell wall pattern, multicellular and glandular trichomes, diacytic and copericytic types of stomata on the abaxial and adaxial surfaces of the leaf, glandular trichomes on the transverse section of the stem. Stomatal numbers were 1.32 ± 0.25μm, 0.51 ± 0.09μm and stomatal index of 21.4%, 10.51% on abaxial and adaxial surfaces respectively. The result of the micromeritics properties of the powdered leaf and stem showed poor flow characteristic with the angle of repose of 37.60 ±0.38 and 42.00 ±0.54 degrees, Hausner’s ratio of 1.45 ±0.00 and 1.41±0.01 and Carr’s index of 31.00±0.00% and 30.00 ±0.65% respectively. Moisture contents for the leaf and stem were13.5 and 12.5%w/w, total ash 16.5 and 11.0%w/w, acid-insoluble ash value 2 and 1%w/w, water-soluble ash value 6 and 5%w/w, sulfated ash values 19 and 13%w/w, water-soluble extractive values23 and 22%w/w, ethanol- soluble extractive values 11 and 15%w/w and methanol-soluble extractive values 1 and 14%w/w respectively. In conclusion, the results obtained from the studies will provide useful information about the identity, purity, quality of J. insularis and will also adequately contribute to the formation of monograph of the plant.

Keywords: Chemomicroscopy, Justicia insularis, Micromeritic, Phytopharmaceutical, Standardization, Therapeutic.