(Rumex Vesicarius L.) Seed

Pharmacognostic Analysis of Unani Drug Hummaz (Rumex vesicarius L.) seed.

*1Renjini Haridas, 1Zaheer Ahmed N., 2Mohammad Younis Dar, 3Murugeswaran R.

1Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine, Chennai, Tamilanadu-600 013, CCRUM, M/O AYUSH, Govt. of India, New Delhi. 2Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine, (RRIUM), Srinagar, CCRUM, M/O AYUSH, Govt. of India, New Delhi 3Drug Standardization Research Institute, Ghaziabad, UP, CCRUM, M/O AYUSH, Govt. of India, New Delhi

Received: 06.08.2019 Abstract

Revised and Accepted: Aim: the present study was planned to analyse the pharmacognostical 12.08.2019 profile of the Unani drug Hummaz or R. vesicarius seed.Materials and Methods: dried seeds were taken for microscopic studies, transverse sections were prepared and stained as per standard procedure and powder microscopy was performed. Results: The macroscopic analysis Key words: Unani drug, and microscopic analysis of the Unani drug Hummaz proved the Hummaz, R. vesicarius presence of calcium oxalate crystals, starch grains, oil globules and aleurone grains. Conclusion: This study will help scientifically to ensure the identity, quality, purity and safety of Unani drug Hummaz (R. vesicarius) seed for the human use.

1. Introduction (Imran Ahmad Khan et al., 2014). In the Unani and Ayurvedic system of Over the centuries, medicinal medicine, it was used as stomachic, plants served as a tremendous antitumor, analgesic, flatulence, remedy for a variety of ailments in spleen disease, high cough, asthma, mankind worldwide. This practice is laxative, bronchitis, dyspepsia, heart derived from experiences, without troubles, alcoholism and biliousness, any scientific evidence; thus, a tonic, analgesic, cooling agent, for proper validation of scientific scabies, as diuretic leucoderma, grounds is necessary. The Unani nausea, diuretic and astringent drug Hummaz or Rumex vesicarius L. (Imran Ahmad Khan et al., 2013; (Polygonaceae), known as Chukra or 2016). Bladder dock, is an annual, monoecious glabrous, Few phytochemical and dichotomously branched, succulent pharmacological studies are found pale green herb.R. vesicariuswidely in the literature describing the distributed in Pakistan, India, chemical constituents and medicinal Bangladesh, America, and North potential of the plant R. vesicarius. Africa. The plant is widely The plant contained bioactive cultivated as a vegetable in Tripura, flavonoids substances such as Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh vitexin, isovitexin, orientin and

*Corresponding author 17 © 2019 St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Devagiri E-mail: [email protected] All rights Reserved Devagiri Journal of Science 5(1), 17-21 isorientin, anthraquinones like Indiaand authenticated at Regional emodin and chrysophanol Research Institute (Unani), particularly in roots, quinones, Royapuram, Chennai-600 013 and carotenoids, vitamins, proteins, voucher specimen of the plant was lipids, carbohydrates, reducing deposited for future reference. The sugars, phenols, tannins, saponins, collected sample was dried under triterpenoids and organic acids. It shade and stored at ambient possesses strong effect towards temperature until use. antioxidant activity (Mona et al., 2013), hepatoprotective activity 2.2. Pharmacognostic study (Seham et al., 2011), anti- Compound microscope, glass slides, inflammatory Asha Tukappa et al., cover slips, watch glass and other 2014; 2015). tumors, hepatic diseases, common glassware were the basic indigestion, constipation, calculus, apparatus and instruments used for heart troubles, pains, spleen the study. Microphotographs were diseases, hiccough, flatulence, taken using a microscope attached asthma, bronchitis, dyspepsia, piles, with camera. Dried seeds were taken scabies, leucoderma, toothache and for microscopic studies, transverse nausea. Diuretic (Vetriselvan sections were prepared and stained Subramaniyan et al., 2018), as per standard procedure and antiscorbutic, appetizer, astringent, powder microscopy was performed. carminative, laxative, stomachic and tonic properties. The seeds are 3. Results and Discussion utilized as a refrigerant, to cure dysentery and as an antidote for Macroscopic: Seeds triangular small scorpion venom. The seed powder is about 1.5 mm long and 1 mm wide, taken orally to treat liver diseases dark brown; shining albuminous, and as a laxative (Wadood, 2014). embryo eccentric, nearly straight, cotyledons linear, taste acrid, odour Most of the studies were carried out not specific. on the aqueous or alcoholic extracts of leaves, roots, and fruits of the Microscopic: T.S of cross section of plants, but least investigations seed triangular: testa sclerified, cells carried out in seed. In this elongated radially like palsade, thick manuscript we analysed the walled; tegmen almost crushed, pharmacognostical profile of the R. endosperm starchy, embryo vesicarius seed. parenchyma with cells containing prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, 2. Materials and Methods oil globules and aleurone grains (Fig.1). 2.1. Plant collection and identification: Powder: Deep brown, coarse, consisting of small fragments of The seeds were purchased from sclerified and flattened cells from market in Chennai, Tamilnadu,

18 Devagiri Journal of Science 5(1), 17-21 testa, starch grains up to 10µ and to 17µ, fragments of embryo with hilum in centre, aleurone grains up prismatic crystal, oil gloules (Fig.2).

Fig 1. a,b: R.vesicarius L. - Seed, c: T.S of R.vesicarius Seeds, d: Enlarged upper view of R.vesicarius Seeds, e: Enlarged view of endosperm, f:embryo, Scl.t: Sclerified testa, Teg: Tegmen, End: endosperm, St and Al: Starch and aleurone grains.

19 Devagiri Journal of Science 5(1), 17-21

Fig 2. a: Powder, b: Sclereid from testa, c: Starch grains from endosperm, d: Oil globule and aleurone grains, e: Fragments of testa, f,g: Prismatic crystals in embyo fragments.

4. Conclusion can be considered as characteristic to identify and authenticate this drug Discussion: Microscopic analysis is Hummaz. This study will help one of the cheapest methods to scientifically to ensure the identity, correctly identify the particular drug quality, purity and safety of Unani and the surety of raw material. The drug Hummaz (R. vesicarius)seed for result will help to ensure the the human use. identity, quality, purity and safety of drug for the human use. From the 5. References macroscopic analysis and microscopic analysis, the Unani Asha Tukappa N.K., Ramesh L. and Sanjeev Kumar C.B. (2015). drug Hummaz proved the presence Evaluation of in vitro and in vivo of calcium oxalate crystals, starch anti-inflammatory and toxicity grains, oil globules and aleurone studies of methanolic extract of grains. Whenever using the drug as Rumex vesicarius Linn. Orient folk medicine, these studies will also Pharm. Exp. Med., 15: 113 121. be helpful for manufacturer for – Asha Tukappa N.K., Ramesh, L., assessing the purity of raw material. Sanjeev Kumar, C.B. (2014). Briefly, the aspects described here Standardization of extraction

20 Devagiri Journal of Science 5(1), 17-21 process for Rumex vesicarius L. Azim, Faiza M. Hammouda, Int. J. Sci. Engineer. Res., 5(8): Mostafa M. El-Missiryand 1061- 1064. Mahmoud A. Saleh, (2013). Imran Ahmad Khan, Abdul Aziz, Lipophilic Constituents of Shaukat Hussain Munawar, Rumex vesicarius L. and Rumex Zahid Munzoor, (2013). dentatus L. Antioxidants 2:167- Antiemetic activity of 180. methanolic leaf extract of Rumex Seham, A. El-Hawary, Nadia M. vesicarius Linn, Int. J. Pharmaceut. Sokkar, Zeinab Y. Ali, and Res. Allied Sci., 2(4): 33-37. Marwa M. (2011). A Proﬁle of Imran Ahmad Khan, Abdul Aziz, Bioactive Compounds of Rumex Zahid Manzoor, Shaukat vesicarius L. J. Food Sci., 76(8): Hussain Munawar, Hafiz 195- 202. Shoaib Sarwar, Aqsa Afzal and Vetriselvan Subramaniyan, Muhammad Asif Raza (2014). Summaiya Shaik, Anupam Study on antipyretic activity of Bag, Gobinath Manavalan and Rumex vesicarius leaves extract Sarath Chandiran, (2018). in albino rabbits Veterinar. Potential action of Rumex World, 7(11): 44–48. vesicarius (L.) against potassium Imran Ahmad Khan, Khalid dichromate and gentamicin Hussain Janbaz and Fatima induced nephrotoxicity in Saqib (2016). Antidiarrheal experimental rats. Pak. J. Pharm. activity of methanolic leaf Sci., 31(2): 509-516. extract of Rumex vesicarius. Wadood, A., Mohd, A., Kamran, J., Bangladesh J Pharmacol. 11: 175- Naquvi, S. and Husain, H. 180. (2014). New flavanones from Mona, A. Abou, Elfotoh, Khaled A. the seeds of Rumex vesicarius L. Shams, Kevin P. Anthony, Exp. Med., 10(6): 178-182. Abdelaaty A., Shahat, Magda T., Ibrahim, Nevein M. Abdelhady, Nahla S. Abdel