Pharmacognostical and phytochemical evaluation of an important medicinal plant Oldenlandia umbellata L.

Abstract

The plant Oldenlandia umbellata L. (=Hedyotis umbellata (L.) Lam.) of the family Rubiaceae is an important medicinal plant with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant properties. Proper identification of the plant and standardization of its crude herbal powder is very essential to use it as a medicine, but the O. umbellata is morphologically identical with different herbaceous taxa of Oldenlandia and Hedyotis. Such similarity creates confusion while collection as well as using the herb in any formulation. The present investigation provides scientific information about microscopic and macroscopic characters of stem and leaf of the O. umbellata, which is useful to identify the crude drug of the plant with precision. The present work also reveals different chemical constituents present in the stem and leaf of the plant. Chromo-fingerprints of stem and leaf are useful to standardize the crude drug of the plant and in determining the purity of the sample with more accuracy.