Abstract

PHARMACOGNOSTICAL STUDIES ON LEAF OF XIMENIA AMERICANA LINN.

Selvadurai.S*., Venkateshwara Rao. A., Vijaya kiruba.T. and Dhanaraju M.D

ABSTRACT

In the foregoing works of wisdom by renowned Ayurvedic experts Charaka have been proved repeatedly by human experience all over the world. Herbal medicine has become a popular form of healthcare. The consumption of plant based medicines and other botanicals are increased manyfold in recent years. Ximenia americana Linn. is struggling variable shrub or small tree grows upto 4.5 m in height with shiny branches, in folk medicine it has been used in the multitude of medicinal properties, for example powdered roots for tooth ache, decoction of the roots and leaves used as a febrifuge and diarrhoea. Decoction of leaves for jaundice, leafy twigs used for laxative and mouth wash. The present paper deals with detailed pharmacognosy study of the leaf of Ximenia americana Linn. and includes its Macro/Microscopical study and anatomical characters, Physicochemical standards such as ash values, extractive values. Microscopical investigation of Ximenia americana Linn. leaves showed the presences of paracytic stomata, cyclocytic stomata and absence of trichomes. A vascular strand of the midrib occurred as a broad bowl shaped or semicircular. From the results obtained it is understood that the Physicochemical standard values such as total ash found to be 8.3%w/w, water soluble ash found to be 1.14%w/w, acid insoluble ash found to be 2.9%w/w, sulphated ash found to be 4.08%w/w, water soluble extractive value found to be 18.28%w/w, alcohol soluble extractive value 14.74%w/w were identified and reported.

Keywords: Ximenia americana Linn., Physicochemical, Ash Value, Extractive Value.