Biochemistry & Pharmacology: Open Access
Open Access

A comparative study on the leaf structural characteristics of commonly used Indian medicinal plants

International Conference on Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry & Natural Products

October 21-23, 2013 Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Hyderabad, India

P. Santhan

Accepted Abstracts: Biochem & Pharmacol

Abstract :

32 leafy drugs (Acalypha indica, Achyranthus aspera, Adhatoda vasica, Aegle marmelos. Alternanthera sessilis, Andrographis paniculata, Azadirachta indica, Bacopa monnieri, Basella alba, Boerhavia diffusa, Cassia angustifolia, Centella asiatica, Cinnamomum tamala, Coccinia grandis, Cyanodon dactylon, Eclipta prostrata, Gymnema sylvestre, Hibiscus rosa sinenesis, Indigofera tinctoria, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Lawsonia inermis, Leucas lavendulifolia, Mangifera indica, Moringa oleifera, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Phyllanthus amarus, Piper betel, Plectranthus amboinicus, Solanum nigrum, Solanum trilobatum, Tephrosia purpurea, and Tylophora asthmatica) belong to 22 families are studied for their pharmacognostic features. Key features are tabulated. 6 drugs ( Alternanthera sessilis, Basella alba, Centella asiatica, Moringa oleifera, Solanum nigrum, and Solanum trilobatum ) are consumed as food. Prominent macroscopic and microscopic characters are presented. 30 epidermal peel line diagrams are illustrated. 5species are having compound leaves. 17 species are herbs, 3 are shrubs, 6 are climbers and 6 are trees. 4 are hydrophytes. Anamocytic stomata is found in 12 species, Paracytic is found in 8 species, diacytic stomata is found in 6 species, anisocytic stomata is found in 5 species. Cystolith crystals observed in 14 species. The leaves are glabrous in 20 species. Some leaves are having unique structure, eg 1. Stomata and resin canals of Aegle marmelos. 2. Stomata, epidermal cells and venation of Cinnamomum tamala. 3. Two layered epidermal cells of Lagerstroemia speciosa, 4. larger guard cells of Mangifera indica. 5. In case of Indigofera tinctoria and Tephrosia purpurea (Fabaceae members) single colourless cell layer separates palisade and spongy tissue. Trichome structure shows so much diversity in the leaves which are often important tool for the identification of the powdered drugs and species. Parameters like vein islet number, vein termination number and palisade ratio are very much useful in the characterization of the leafy drug. Single layered palisade is found in 7 species, In Basella , Plectranthus and Bacopa mesophyll tissue is not differentiated in to palisade and spongy.