<span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";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">Comparative pharmacognostical studies of two medicinally important Indian <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Evolvulus</i> species</span>

564-570<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";color:black;="" mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">The genus Evolvulus consists of small herbs or under shrubs distributed in the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. Two species of this genus have been reported from India, viz. E. alsinoides L. and E. nummularius L. (Convolvulaceae).<span style="font-size: 9.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US"> Both the species are traditionally being used as nerve tonic and for the treatment of skin diseases. The current study was carried out to provide comparative macro-microscopy, physicochemical parameters and TLC finger print profiles of aforesaid Indian <span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";color:black;="" mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">Evolvulus species.<span style="font-size:9.0pt; font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US"> The microscopy showed anisocytic stomata in E. alsinoides while diacytic and paracytic stomata in E. nummularius; presence of stellate <span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-ansi-language:="" en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">trichomes, characteristic pith with spindle shaped deposition of calcium oxalate crystals<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:timesnewroman;mso-ansi-language:="" en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US"> and starch grains only in E. nummularius.<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:timesnewroman;mso-ansi-language:="" en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US"> Comparative TLC profile showed presence of some common as well as differentiating bands in <span style="font-size:9.0pt; font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:timesnewroman;="" mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">methanolic extract of Evolvulus sp. However, the chemical markers, viz. ferulic acid, caffeic acid, β sitosterol and lupeol were present in <span style="font-size:9.0pt; font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">both the species. The macro-microscopy and TLC profiles may play an important role for identification and quality evaluation <span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-ansi-language:="" en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">of two medicinally important <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Evolvulus species.</span