COMPARATIVE PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF VARIOUS SPECIES OF THE CONTROVERSIAL DRUG ‘PUNARNAVA'

Objective: Punarnava is a controversial drug i.e. its true botanical identity has not been ascertained, and several different species are used as Punarnava. It is a part of many medicinally important traditional formulations. Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India describes three different species–Roots of Boerhaavia diffusa, Trianthema portulacastrum and Boerhaavia verticillata. The present work deals with the microscopic, macroscopic and phytochemical comparison of the roots of these species of Punarnava, so as to differentiate them and establish their quality parameters.Methods: Roots of these three species were collected, and their comparative morphological, microscopical (transverse section, powder study) and the phytochemical (screening, tannin estimation) study was performed.Results: Roots of Boerhaavia diffusa showed morphological characteristics which clearly distinguished it from the other species. They showed the presence of well developed and stratified cork, abnormal vascular bundles which were discontinuous, and a central cavity, presumably formed due to the disintegration of tissues. Boerhaavia verticillata showed the presence of xylem bundles arranged in the form of a ‘X'-shaped cross in the central region. Thick-walled cork cells and pitted xylem vessels were present only in Boerhaavia diffusa root powder, whereas bundles of fibrovascular tissue were present only in the powder of Boerhaavia verticillata. Tannin content was found to be highest in Boerhaavia diffusa roots.Conclusion: The present investigation will help herbal industries and traditional medicinal practitioners to detect adulteration of the medicinally important immunomodulator Boerhaavia diffusa by Trianthema portulacastrum and Boerhaavia verticillata, which are considered to have no immunomodulatory activity.Â

The phytochemical screening, total cucurbitacin content, and in vitro anti-breast cancer activity of Leucopaxillus gentianeus mushroom

Abstract Background The popular Leucopaxillus gentianeus mushroom contains very high nutrients and bioactive compounds with good anti-breast cancer activity. The til oil extract seems to be the most active in preparation. This study aims to find the best extract using different solvents for extraction, to measure the total cucurbitacin content and anti-breast cancer activity in vitro of til oil extract of leucopaxillus gentianeus. Result The dry mushroom material was extracted using continuous hot extraction with til oil, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, chloroform, methanol, and water of leucopaxillus gentianeus which were used for phytochemical analysis, HPLC method was used for no of phytochemical and anti-breast cancer activity in vitro. The total cucurbitacin content was found based on the HPTLC method. The anti-breast cancer activity was carried out using progesterone and estrogen activity. The number of pecks found during HPLC it is indicated that the list of phytochemical presents in a different extract, also good yield found with til oil extract was 6.8 gm. Progesterone and estrogen inhibited high with til oil extract and cucurbitacin content was found to be 264.00 ng. Conclusion The significance of the biotherapeutic effects increases with the number of bioactive components in the preparation. Leucopaxillus gentianeus til oil extract has high cucurbitacin content and strong anti-breast cancer properties. Graphical abstrac

<span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA" lang="EN-US">Quality control parameters to detect adulteration of market samples of Indian <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Manjistha</i> by Irani <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Manjistha</i></span>

331-334The stems of Manjistha are official in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India and equated with Rubia cordifolia L. They are traditionally used for curing blood disorders, skin diseases, as anti-inflammatory, haemostatic, urolithotriptic, antipyretic, analgesic, anthelmintic and for improving complexion. They are found in several important traditional medicinal formulations and hold a great export potential as well. However, stems of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Rubia tinctorum L. are also available in the Indian market, which are not official and have been found to contain lucidin, a genotoxic compound. The present investigation deals with comparative pharmacognostical study of stems of both species and establishment of various quality parameters. Morphologically, the stems of both the species vary a lot. Transverse section of both stems showed the presence of reddish dye in cortex and acicular crystals of calcium oxalate; however, the width of cork, cortex, stele and pith varied. Powder microscopy revealed the presence of annular and pitted xylem vessels, xylem fibers and acicular crystals in singular and bundles; however their sizes varied in both species. From the phytochemical screening, the detected phyto-constituents were estimated by their respective procedures, which also varied in both species. Thus, the present work can serve as a very useful botanical and phytochemical tool in the identification, authentication and standardization of the raw material and prepared formulations of R. cordifolia L. and distinguishing it from of R. tinctorum L., which will consequently benefit the herbal industries and traditional medicinal healers. </span