Pharmacognostic assessment of Lawsonia inermis flowers

Abstract

Towards authentication and quality assurance of medicinal plants, the microscopic characters, powder characteristics, behavior and florescence analysis, physiochemical evaluation, micrometric analysis and preliminary phytochemical studies of Lawsonia inermis Flowers were carried out. The characteristic macroscopic and microscopic features of flowers include presence of epidermal cells, parenchymal cells, spirally thickened xylem vessels, lignified fibers, oil globules, different crystals of calcium oxalate. Powder showed distinguishing fluorescent property when treated with different reagents. Physicochemical investigation revealed values for moisture content, pH, ash values and extractive values which are within the World Health Organisation standards for crude drug from medicinal plants. Micromeritic analysis of flower powder reveals fair flowability. Water and ethanol extractive values were found to be higher when compared to that of chloroform, petroleum ether and ethylacetate. Preliminary Phytochemical screening indicated the presence of alkaloids, Glycosides, Carbohydrates, Flavonoids, Tannins, Proteins, Sterols and Cardiac glycosides. It can be concluded that the information obtained from these studies may be utilized for identification and standardization of Lawsonia inermis flowers as a herbal remedy and also towards monograph development of it.