• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.326-331
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• 2013

A Korean folk medicine, "SinKyungCho" has been used to cure common cold and rheumatis. While this crude drug has similar morphological feature to that of Rubia species, the botanical origin has never been studied pharmacognostically. Therefore, in order to clarify the botanical origin of "SinKyungCho", the morphological and anatomical characteristics of Rubia species growing in Korea, i.e. R. akane, R. chinensis var. glabrescens, R. cordifolia var. pratensis, R. cordifolia var. sylvatica were studied. Especially, differing from the other three species, R. cordifolia var. pratensis has 2-4 cork cell layers under the endodermal cell layer. R. cordifolia var. sylvatica showed the largest number of parenchyma cell layers in cortex by 8-17. While the average ratio of stele to root transverse section is over 45% for R. akane and R. cordifolia var. pratensis, the ratio is under 45% for R. chinensis var. glabrescens and R. cordifolia var. sylvatica. According to these morphological criteria, the folk medicine "SinKyungCho" from Korean traditional market was proved to be the underground part of R. akane.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.19-23
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• 2006

Berberis chitria (family Berberidaceae) has a close affinity with B. aristata, used in traditional systems of medicine as a drug 'Daruharidra' for skin disease, jaundice, affection of eyes, and rheumatism. Keeping this in view, in the present study attempts have been made to identify marker characters of B. chitria in order to differentiate the two species. Some of the diagnostic features of the root are patches of pericyclic fibre, pitted sclerieds and berberine containing cells and heterocyclic medullary rays. Besides, the physicochemical characters such as total ash; acid insoluble ash; alcohol and water soluble extractive; tannins; sugar and starch percentages has shown variations. The percentage of berberine as berberine hydrochloride was also calculated through HPTLC densitometric method and it was found little higher than B. aristata and B. asiatica i.e. 3.16%. Thus, this species can be utilized as a possible substitute to Daruharidra.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.51-57
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• 2011

The seeds of Abrus precatorius L. (Family- Fabaceae) constitute the drugs Abrus, Gunja, or Ratti in commerce. In the Indian System of Medicine, the seeds are used for sciatica, paralysis, headache, dysentery, diarrhoea, leprosy, ulcer, nervous disorders, alopecia, as well as anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antitumor, sexual stimulant and abortifacient. Seeds are poisonous and therefore are used after mitigation. The protein abrin is responsible for the highly toxic properties of seeds. Quantitative HPTLC analysis of the methanolic extract of seeds determined the presence of 0.4018% gallic acid and 0.4009% glycyrrhizin. The present study was undertaken to develop an HPTLC method, as well as ascertain the physico-chemical, morphological and histological parameters to establish the authenticity of A. precatorius seeds.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2013

Plants are attacked by various phytopathogenic fungi. For many years, synthetic fungicides have been used to control plant diseases. Although synthetic fungicides are highly effective, their repeated use has led to problems such as environmental pollution, development of resistance, and residual toxicity. This has prompted intensive research on the development of biopesticides, including botanical fungicides. To date, relatively few botanical fungicides have been registered and commercialized. However, many scientists have reported isolation and characterization of a variety of antifungal plant derivatives. Here, we present a survey of a wide range of reported plant-derived antifungal metabolites.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.165-169
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• 2005

Chlorophytum borivilianum Baker (Antharicaceae) commonly referred as 'Safed Musli' has been widely used in the Indian traditional systems of medicine to treat various diseases like rheumatism apart from having immunomodulating property and is used as general tonic. It is also known as 'Ayurvedic viagra' for its aphordisiac properties. C. borivilianum was screened for the first time to determine its antioxidant activity, isolation of the sapogenins and standardization of the isolated sapogenin fraction using HPTLC. Potent antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract was found by their ability to scavenge DPPH (84.51%), hydroxyl radical (48.95 %), ferryl bi-pyridyl complex (84.53%) along with the inhibition of lipid peroxidation (67.17%) at $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. The ethanolic extract also exhibited significant inhibition of superoxide anion radical generated by photochemiluminescence. Thus, the potent antioxidant activity validates the innumerable therapeutic claims of the plant in the traditional system especially its use as a Rasayana drug.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.174-178
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• 2005

Oxidative stress is an important causative factor in several human chronic diseases, such as atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disorders, mutagenesis, cancer, several neurodegenerative disorders, and the aging process. Phenolics and tannins are reported to be good antioxidants. Anogeissus latifolia (Combretaceae) bark has been used in the Indian traditional systems of medicine for curing a variety of ailments, but scientific validation is not available till date. Hence the present study was undertaken to isolate antioxidant compounds by activity-guided isolation. Inhibtion of diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and Xanthine oxidase along with photochemiluminescence assay were used as bioassay for antioxidant activity. Activity guided isolation was carried out using silica column and the compounds were quantified using HPLC. Ethyl acetate and butanol fraction exhibited potent antioxidant activity. Bioassay-guided isolation led to isolation of ellagic acid (1) and dimethyl ellagic acid (2) as the main active compounds, which along with gallic acid were quantified by HPLC. Thus we conclude that these three major tannoid principles present in A. latifolia, are responsible for the antioxidant potential and possibly their therapeutic potential.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.83-89
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• 2002

Butea monosperma Kuntze, commonly known as 'Palash', is employed in various indigenous systems of medicine against several diseases and almost every part of the plant has diversified medicinal properties. The seeds are used as anthelmintic, aperient, digesti and to treat piles, skin diseases and abdominal troubles. They also have the property of reducing 'Kapha' and 'Vata' (in Ayurveda). In the present paper a detailed pharmacognostical evaluation of seeds has been undertaken. The study includes macro- and micro-scopical details, fluorescence powder study and HPTLC fingerprinting. The seed is characterized by finely ridged seed coat and palisade-like malpighian cells, discontinuous transparent linea lucida in upper half of malpighian layer and simple & oblong hilum. The study also concludes that the seed samples procured from different places have similar morphological and physico-chemical characteristics. These observations are also supported by similar TLC profiles. The estimation of heavy metals (to detect permissible toxic limits), and fatty acid composition have been carried out. An attempt has also been made to see the ecological and edaphic variations, if any.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.20-23
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• 2004

The fresh fruit juice powder of Coccinia indica W.&A., (Cucurbitaceae, CJP) was studied for the possible activities of antiinflammatory and antinociceptive to rationalize the folkloric use of the plant juice as rasayana. CJP at the doses of 50-200 mg/kg caused a significant (P<0.05 to P<0.001) inhibition of paw edema induced by ${\lambda}$ carrageenin (1%) and histamine $(10^{-3}\;g/ml,\;0.1\;ml)$ in rats. The effect was comparable to the standard cycloxygenase inhibitor brufen at 100 mg/kg and protective percentages were 63.41% and 65.78% respectively. Administration of CJP (50-200 mg/kg) exhibited a moderate increase of the pain threshold on analgesy-meter induced mechanical pain. However CJP significantly prevented the writhing induced by acetic acid in mice and the percentages of inhibitions were 16.98%-35.47%, which is equivalent to 36.67% produced by brufen. These data indicate that the fruit juice of Coccinia indica rationalizes the traditional system of medicine.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.58-62
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• 2005

Pygmaeopremna herbacea (Roxb.) Mold. (Verbenaceae) is a small herb or sometimes an undershrub arising from a perennial rootstock. The dry roots are dark muddy brown in colour having root nodules. Its extensively developed roots are widely used in tribal medicine. They are used as an aphrodisiac and for the treatment of gout, rheumatism and ulcers. This study deals with the detailed pharmacognostical evaluation of the dried roots and root nodules of P. herbacea which includes macro and microscopic studies, determination of physicochemical parameters and chemoprofiling of the extract using HPTLC fingerprint profiles. It was observed that the roots consist of a well developed cortical region consisting of tangentially elongated thin walled parenchymatous cells and contain polygonal stone cells as well as compound starch grains. Also the pith was parenchymatous. The HPTLC fingerprint profile of the methanolic extract showed the presence of seven major bands. Such an analysis may thus be utilized in identifying P. herbacea and in differenciating it from other species which are similar to it or are used as its adultrants/substitutes under the same vernacular name of Bharangi.

• Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.14-14
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• 2000