Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 8(2), April 2009, pp. 176-180

Pharmacognostical evaluation of root bark of asper Lour.

V Madhavan 1, Pravinkumar P Zamabad 1, MR Gurudeva 2 & SN Yoganarasimhan 1* 1Department of Pharmacognosy, MS Ramaiah College of Pharmacy, MSRIT Campus, Bangalore 560 054, Karnataka 2VV Pura College of Science, KR Road, Bangalore 560 004, Karnataka E-mail: [email protected] Received 9 August 2007revised 8 April 2008

Streblus asper Lour. known as Shakhotaka in Ayurveda and Piraayan in Siddha is an important medicinal belonging to family . The root bark is antipyretic, antidysentric and analgesic, and sedative. The study provides taxonomical, pharmacognostical and physicochemical details helpful in laying down standardization and pharmacopoeial parameters. The diagnostic characters are latex exudation, lenticular opening, crystals and latex cells in secondary phloem, 2-3-seriate medullary rays, and septate fibers. Physicochemical studies revealed, total moisture content (8.91%), total ash (15.00%), acid insoluble ash (5.65%), water-soluble ash (3.23%), alcohol soluble extractive value (18.05%), and water- soluble extractive value (35.83%). Ultraviolet analysis exhibited considerable variation. Preliminary organic analysis revealed carbohydrates, glycosides, phytosterols, phenolic compounds, tannins, saponin, gums and mucilage. Thin layer chromatographic studies gave 8 and 7 spots in alcohol and aqueous extracts, respectively. Keywords: Streblus asper , Pharmacognosy, Physicochemical analysis IPC Int. Cl. 8: A01K61/00, A61P1/04, A61P1/06, A61P1/10, A61P1/16, A61P29/00

Streblus asper Lour., (Moraceae), known as Demon Methodology tree is an important medicinal plant 1,2 . Large shrub or Fresh root bark collected from Botanical garden of small tree with crooked stem, bark light grey or the University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK greenish with faint ridges, laticiferous. Leaves campus, Bangalore was preserved in 70% ethyl alternate, 5-7×3.5-4 cm long, rhomboid-elliptic, alcohol for histological studies. Pharmacognostical obovate or elliptic-oblong, acute, cuneate at base, evaluation including histochemical, macerate and denticulate, glabrous. Flowers unisexual, axillary; powder studies were carried out by taking free hand male flowers in globose pedunculate heads; sections 13-15 . Photomicrographs were taken using 4, inflexed in bud, anthers reinform; female flowers compound binocular microscope having sensor aided solitary, inconspicuous, long peduncled. Fruit digital camera and computer attachments. 1-seeded berry, enclosed by enlarged sepals. The root Measurement of cells of tissues was also carried out. bark and seeds are used in Ayurveda as a single drug Physicochemical constants, ultra-violet analysis, for treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery, filariasis, organic analysis and thin layer chromatography were diseases of nervous system and fever, whereas in carried out from shade dried powder 6,17-19 . Voucher Siddha medicine, root bark, leaf and exudate (latex) herbarium specimen along with voucher crude drug are used for dysentery, fissures, sprue, as an sample is preserved at the herbarium of MS Ramaiah aphrodisiac, and also for dental diseases 3,4 . The College of Pharmacy, Bangalore. Botanical extracts showed anticancer and antiallergic activity 5,6 . identification was carried out using local floras 20-22 . The major glycoside in root bark is vijaloside, known for its cardiac activity apart from β-sitosterol, ά- Results and discussion amyrin and luepol from leaves 7,8 . Pharmacognostical Fresh root bark of 2–7 mm thick, peeling off when investigation with macerate and powder study details dry, outer surface pale yellow, lenticellate, inner on root bark which help in identification of crude drug surface fibrous within, brown was taken (Figs 1-2). was not available and hence the study was Mature dry root bark incurved, yellowish-brown to undertaken 9-12 . chocolate brown, bitter, without characteristic odour; fracture hard (Fig. 3) was taken for study. Transverse section of root bark shows cork, consisting of 4-8 ______*Corresponding author layers of tangentially elongated cells, 15-23-31µ, MADHAVAN et al .: PHARMACOGNOSTICAL EVALUATION OF STREBLUS ASPER LOUR. ROOT BARK 177

interspersed by dark coloured lenticular openings. solution, stained in 1% safranin for 5-10 minutes, Cork cambium single layered, followed by 2-3 layers mounted in 50% glycerine shows cork cells, of secondary cortex and a large secondary phloem. parenchyma cells and phloem fibers; with iodine Cortical cells thin walled, parenchymatous, solution, gave blue colour indicating presence of rectangular or polygonal, 7-20-33µ, contain simple starch. Results of histochemical tests are provided round starch grains. Groups of stone cells, 22-41-60µ, (Table 1). The % of moisture content was 9.2, total in tangential bands occur next to secondary cortex. ash 15.0, acid insoluble ash 5.6, water soluble ash 3.2, Secondary phloem consists of phloem parenchyma, alcohol souble extractive 18.0 and water soluble sieve tubes, companion cells and phloem fibers; extractive 35.8; the % of successive extractive values phloem parenchyma cells thin walled, variable in size were petroleum ether (60-80ºc) 4.08, benzene 0.73, and shape, 26-47-58µ, elongated, either tangentially chloroform 1.39, acetone 0.59, ethanol 6.16 and water or radially, contain starch grains, 22-41-60µ 7.61. A known quantity of dried powder was (diameter) and large prismatic, rhomboidal or extracted in a Soxhlet with petroleum ether (60-80ºc), spheroidal crystals of calcium oxalate, and abundant benzene, chloroform, acetone and ethanol (95%) and laticiferous cells. Phloem fibers radially arranged, in finally macerated with chloroform-water for 24 hrs vertical columns, intermingled with phloem successively and tested for different constituents parenchyma and alternating with medullary rays. revealed carbohydrates, glycosides, phytosterols, Medullary rays multiseriate, run in parallel rows phenolic compounds, tannins, saponins, gums and separating phloem, almost up to secondary cortex; mucilage 16,19 . The alcohol and aqueous extracts were cells rectangular or polygonal, radially elongated, thin used to carry out TLC with solvent system, walled, 15-28-40µ, contain simple starch grains and chloroform: ethanol [8:2] for alcohol extract and pet crystals; stone cells are specifically found more in ether (60-80ºC): ethyl acetate [6:4] for aqueous medullary ray region (Figs. 4-14). extract (Figs 20, 21). Iodine vapours were used as Macerate shows rectangular or polygonal cortical developer. Alcohol extract gave 8 spots of Rf 0.11, cells, 9-18-27µ, contain starch grains; irregular 0.29, 0.43, 0.52, 0.80, 0.91, 0.97 and aqueous extract parenchyma cells; phloem fibers 14-18-22µ, septate, 7 spots of Rf 0.08, 0.11, 0.14, 0.43, 0.62, 0.85 and thin walled, with a large lumen; groups of thick 0.97 (Figs. 20, 21). Powdered drug under UV and walled stone cells, simple pitted and with broad ordinary light when treated with different reagents lumen; laticiferous cells with granular content (Figs. emitted various colour radiations (Table 2) which help 15-19). in identifying the drug in powder form. Diagnostic Powder study shows powder yellowish, odourless, characters of root bark include: presence of lenticular bitter, fibrous; when treated with chloral hydrate openings; presence of different types of crystals and

Table 1 — Histochemical tests of root bark of S. asper

Material Reagent Test for Colour change Result

Section Iodine Starch Blue ++ Section Ferric chloride solution (10%) Tannin Black ++ Section Sudan III solution Oil globules No change − − Section dil Hcl + pinch of phloroglucinol Lignin Majenta colour ++ Section con Hcl Calcium oxalate crystals Little effervescence ++ +: present; − : absent

Table 2 — Ultra-violet analysis of root bark powder of S. asper

Treatment Visible light UV light short wave (254 nm) long wave (365 nm)

Powder as such Light brown Light brown Light brown In methanol Dark brown Dark green Brown In methanol NaOH Brown Green Light brown In ethanol Dark brown Green Brown In ethanol NaOH Dark brown Dark green Light brown In dil HCl Light brown Light green Brown

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MADHAVAN et al .: PHARMACOGNOSTICAL EVALUATION OF STREBLUS ASPER LOUR. ROOT BARK 179

180 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 8, No. 2, APRIL 2009

latex cells in secondary phloem; groups of 7 Rastogi RP & Mehrotra BN, Compendium of Indian tangentially arranged stone cells in secondary cortex Medicinal , Vol 3, (National Institute of Science Communication & Information Resources, New Delhi), and septate fibres. 2001, 611.

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