Abstract

PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF LEAVES OF GYNANDROPSIS GYNANDRA.

Ujwala S. Dube* and Sunil A. Nirmal

Abstract

Gynandropsis gynandra syn. G. pentaphylla, (Capparadiaceae) is commonly known as „Pandharitilvan‟. Various parts of the plant are reported as rubefacient, counter-irritant, anthelmintic, in neuralgia, headache and otalgia. Terpenes, β-carotene, sterols, fatty acids, flavonoids, glycosides and alkaloids were reported from various part of plant. Objective of present work is to standardize the leaves by morphology, microscopy, leaf constants and various physical constants. The Morphology, microscopy and leaf constants viz. stomatal number, stomatal index, vein islet number, veinlet termination number and palisade ratio and various physical constants viz. ash values, extractive values and moisture content by loss on drying were performed. Microscopically leaf shows dorsiventral nature, large number of glandular trichomes on both epidermis, vascular bundles were present in 3-5 groups and anomocytic type of stomata are observed. Total ash, acid insoluble ash and water soluble ash were found to be 19% w/w, 2.5% w/w and 5.5% w/w respectively. Water soluble and alcohol soluble extractive values were found to be 15.2% w/w and 7.2% w/w respectively and moisture content was found to be 9.88% w/w. Various leaf constants were found as, stomatal number (upper-9.6-11.4 and lower-15.2-17), Stomatal index (upper- 13.8%-16.41% and lower-25%- 26.67%), vein islet number (9-12), vein let termination number (6-8) and palisade ratio (5- 6.5).

Keywords: Gynandropsis gynandra, microscopy, Leaf Constants.