1. INTRODUCTION:

Herbs are staging a comeback and herbal renaissance is happening all over the globe. The herbal products today symbolize safety in contrast to the synthetics that are regarded as unsafe to human and environment. Although herbs had been priced for their medicinal, flavoring and aromatic qualities for centuries, the synthetic products of the modern age surpassed their importance, for a while. However, the blind dependence on synthetics is over and people are returning to the naturals with the hope of safety and security¹.

After decades of serious obsession with the modern medicinal system, people have started looking at the ancient healing systems like Ayurveda, Siddha and Unnani. This is because of the adverse effects associated with synthetic drugs. Herbal drugs play an important role in health care programs especially in developing countries. Ancient Indian literature incorporates a remarkably broad definition of medicinal plants and considers ‘all ‘plant parts to be potential sources of medicinal substances². However a key obstacle, which has hindered the acceptance of the alternative medicines in the developed countries, is the lack of documentation and stringent quality control³. With this backdrop, it becomes extremely important to make an effort towards standardization of the plant material to be used as medicine. The process of standardization can be achieved by stepwise pharmacognostic studies⁴. These studies help in identification and authentication of the plant material. Correct identification and quality assurance of the starting materials is an essential prerequisite to ensure reproducible quality of herbal medicine which will contribute to its safety and efficacy. Simple pharmacognostic techniques used in standardization of plant material include its morphological, anatomical and biochemical characteristics⁵. Alangium lamarkii (Alangiaceae) commonly known as “Ankol” is a small genus of flowering plants.. The leaves are useful in treatment of inflammations, blood disorders, burning sensation, spermatorrhoea, gleets, acute fever and lumbago. According to Ayurveda, the root is acrid, pungent, heating, anthelmintic and alterative and useful in treatment of biliousness and inflammations etc. The juice is emetic and alexipharmic and useful in treatment of pain, blood disorders, hydrophobia, rat-bite, lumbago, dysentery and diarrhoea whereas the seeds are cooling, aphrodisiac, indigestible and tonic. The root bark is used in piles whereas fruits are considered as purgative, expectorant and carminative^6-7.The present paper deals with the macroscopic and microscopic studies on the plant. Physico- chemical characters viz., total ash, acid-insoluble ash, water-soluble ash has been determined. Thin layer chromatography studies of the various extracts have been performed in different solvent systems and the R_f values have been determined. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the various extracts has been carried out.

2. MATERIAL AND METHOD:

2.1. Macroscopy:

The following macroscopic characters for the fresh leaves were noted: size and shape, colour, surfaces, venation, the apex, margin, base, lamina, texture, odour and taste.

2.2. Microscopy:

Transverse section of leaf:

Microscopic evaluation was carried out by taking transverse sections of fresh leave cleared in chloral hydrate, mounted with glycerin and observed under a compound microscope at projection 10x. the presence/ absence of the following were observed: epidermal cells (upper and lower), covering trichomes, xylem, phloem, stomata (type and distribution) and collenchyma. The transverse sections of the fresh leaves through the lamina and the midrib as well as a small quantity of the powdered leaves were also cleared, mounted and observed⁸.

2.3 Quantitative investigation:

Quantitative leaf microscopy was performed to determine stomata number, stomata index and palisade ratio on epidermal strips⁹.

2.4 Physicochemical parameters:

The various physicochemical parameters such as total ash, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash, water soluble extractive value and alcohol soluble extractive value were determined by the method with slight modification¹⁰.

2.5 Phytochemical Screening:

The concentrated extracts were used for preliminary screening of various phytoconstituents viz. steroids and terpenoids, alkaloids, tannins and phenolic compounds, flavanoids, sugars and amino acids were detected by usual methods prescribed in standard tests^11-12.

2.6 Thin layer chromatography:

Thin layer chromatographic studies of the extract was carry out in various solvents at 30°C using percolated silica gel G plate as adsorbent¹³.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

3.1 Macroscopic characters:

Alangium lamarkii is a tree. Stem is cylindrical. Leaf is simple, alternate, margin- entire, apex- acute, laminar, venation, reticulate, petiolate (Figure 1).

Figure 01: Macroscopic characters of Alangium lamarkii

3.2 Microscopic studies:

Figure 02: Microscopic characters of Alangium lamarkii leaf

Thin sections shows the following structure-

i. Epidermis:

There are two epidermal layers on adaxial and abaxial surfaces of the leaf. Each is uniseriate, composed of a row of compactly set tubular cells. The outer walls are cutinized and possess the thin cuticle, the thickness being more pronounced in the cells of upper epidermis than those of lower side. Stomata occur on the lower epidermis.

ii. Mesophyll:

The ground tissue forming the mesophyll is differentiated into palisade and spongy cells. The palisade cells occur towards upper epidermis. They are columnar cells with scanty intercellular spaces and remain arranged more or less at right angles to the upper epidermis. Chloroplasts are abundantly present, which particularly occurs along the radial walls of the cells. There are two layered of palisade cells. The spongy cells occur towards the lower epidermis. They are quite loosely arranged with conspicuous intercellular spaces. The number of chloroplast is naturally much smaller here, which explains the pale green color of the lower surface of the leaf.

iii. Vascular Bundles:

Bundles are collateral closed. They are located in the mesophyll. The size of the bundle depends on the position one chooses to take in making a section. A bigger bundle is composed of xylem and phloem, the former occurring towards upper epidermis and later towards the lower side. The xylem is made of treachery elements and the phloem of sieve tube and companion cells. The bundle remains surrounded by a row of colourless parenchyma cells. The band is referred to as bundle sheath or border parenchyma. Thus the bundle is not in direct contact with mesophyll cells. Parenchyma and Collenchyma cells are present on the outer and inner side of the bundle which may reach upto the two epidermal layers. These cells constitute what is known as Bundle Sheath Extension ¹⁴.

3.3 Quantitative Investigation:

Quantitative leaf microscopy was performed to determine stomata number, stomata index and palisade ratio on epidermal strips. The estimation was given below-

Length of each stomata =15.4µ

and Breadth of each stomata =7.7 µ

Figure 04: Transverse Section showing Stomata in Alangium lamarkii Leaves

3.4 Physicochemical constants determination:

The physicochemical characters are presented in Table 01. The total ash content value and water-soluble ash value of powdered Alangium lamarkii leaves are found to be more in crude drug. Ash value is a measure of the quality and purity of the crude drug. Alcohol and water-soluble extractive values were determined to find out the amount of water and alcohol soluble compounds. The leaves showed more amounts of water-soluble compounds than alcohol soluble compounds.

Table 01: Physico-chemical characters of the leaf powder of Alangium lamarkii.

Sr. No.	Parameter	Values (%)
1.	Total Ash	20%
2.	Acid insoluble ash	30%
3.	Water Soluble Ash	10%
4.	Water Soluble Extractives	1.6%
5.	Alcohol Soluble Extractives	1.2%

3.5 Phytochemical Screening:

In the phytochemical tests the methanolic extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, amino acids and steroids. The extractive values and results of the tests for various phytoconstituents are presented in Table 2.

Table 02: Preliminary phytochemical screening of methanolic extract of Alangium lamarkii leaves

Sr. No.	Compounds	Results
1.	Alkaloids	++
2.	Tannin	-
3.	Glycosides	-
4.	Amino acids	+
5.	Steroids	+
6.	Flavanoids	-

[(+) indicates present and (-) indicates absent]

3.6 Thin layer chromatography:

The best separation was achieved using Chloroform: Methanol as mobile phase. After developing the plates were viewed under UV- light and in iodine chamber to locate the spots. The Rf values were calculated and presented in Table 4.

R_f = DC/DS

Where,

Rf = Retention factor.

DC = Distance travelled by the Compound.

DS = Distance travelled by the Solvent Front.

R_f = DC/DS

= 6.3 / 6.7 = 0.92

Table 03: Thin Layer Chromatography of methanolic extract of Alangium lamarkii Leaves.

Stationary Phase	Mobile Phase	Ratio	Solute Front	Solvent Front	Rf Value
Silica Gel-G	Chloroform: Methanol	3.5:1.5	6.3	6.7	0.92

CONCLUSION:

In the present study, the pharmacognostical and physicochemical evaluation of Alangium lamarkii were studied. Various parameters established in the present study will help in controlling the standards and quality of the raw material of Alangium lamarkii. The preliminary phytochemical analysis showed the presence of various phytoconstituents which may contribute to the different pharmacological activity of this plant. All the pharmacognostical characters and physicochemical parameters have been studied. It will help to understand basics of Alangium lamarkii Leaves.

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Received on 06.09.2021 Modified on 22.12.2021

Res. J. Pharmacognosy and Phytochem. 2022; 14(2):65-68.

DOI: 10.52711/0975-4385.2022.00013