Pharmacognostic standardisation of Maranta arundinacea L. - An important ethnomedicine

Abstract

Plants are said to be medicinal when they are used to promote health beyond basic nutrition. Various bioactive compounds present in the plant are responsible for the medicinal properties of the plant. The present study aims to establish pharmacognostic standardization such as macro and microscopic standards, physico-chemical analysis, powder analysis and preliminary phytochemical screening of rhizome of Maranta arundinacea L. Phytochemical screening was carried out with petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol and distilled water respectively. The study revealed the presence of bio-active compounds such as alkaloids, carbohydrate, cardiac glycosides, aminoacids, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, saponins, flavones and gum. Histochemical studies showed the presence of innumerable starch grains. Physicochemical parameters like moisture content (6.6%), total ash (2.5%), extractive values of alcohol (1.8%) and water (25.1%) were also evaluated. The above parameters are significant towards establishing the pharmacognostic standards for future identification and authentication of genuine plant material.