Pharmacognostical Standardization of Sida acuta Leaves (Malvaceae Family)

S. Selvadurai¹*, K. Thirumalai¹, S. Anbazhagan², P. Shanmugapandiyan³

¹Department of Pharmacognosy, Surya School of Pharmacy, Vikravandi, Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, India.

²Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Surya School of Pharmacy, Vikravandi, Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, India.

³Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Satyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: sselvadurai14@gmail.com

ABSTRACT:

Sidaacuta burm.f.is an endemic and an important medicinal plant species of south India. Despite having immense medicinal importance, few information is available on the standardization parameters of the species. For this reason, present work was carried out for providing comprehensive report on the quality control and standardization parameters of Sidaacuta burm. f. In this connection leaves of the plant were examined. Methods like microscopy and macroscopy, physicochemical parameters, extractive values and fluorescence analysis were used to establish pharmacognostical standards. The macroscopic, microscopy and physicochemical parameters of leaves of Sidaacuta burm. f. revealed various diagnostic characteristic in the species. This is the first study providing complete pharmacognostic profile of Sidaacuta burm. f. and hence will be useful for correct identification and authentication of the species for future studies.

KEYWORDS: Sidaacuta, Microscopy, Macroscopy, Physicochemical parameters, Extractive values and fluorescence.

1. INTRODUCTION:

Plants happen to be serving human beings as a natural source of cure for various ailments and diseases since ages. The world has seen huge increase in plant research in recent times, and numerous evidences show vast potential of medicinal plants used in various traditional systems¹. The beneficial role of plant or plant-derived products in human therapy is a significant breakthrough in the history of humankind. However, it is not easy to know the accurate number of medicinal plants available on earth till date². The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of the world's population relies on herbal medicine.

Meanwhile, the use of herbs in the United States is expanding rapidly, to the point where herbal products are readily found in most pharmacies and supermarkets.

From 1990 to 1997, as the use of complementary and alternative medicine rose from 34 to 42%, herbal use quadrupled from 3 to 12%³. Three technologies namely Biotechnology, Herbal technology and information technology (Bioinformatics) are going to be the most powerful elements that are crucial t for the welfare and prosperity for the people of nations⁴.

Shrubby and heavily branched, with thin, terete branches that are minutely stellately haired. Petioles 0-6mm long, shorter than the serrate, glabrous on both sides; Petioles 0.5 to 1.8, either shorter or longer than the petiole, in each axil, united about the middle. Leaves 2.5-6.3cm long, lanceolate, with rounded base strongly serrated, and glabrous on both sides. Longer than 6 to 8mm; triangular, sharp lobes. Yellow corolla that is almost twice as long as the calyx. Fruit is 5-6mm in diameter; there are 2 awns that are nearly linear and about 1/3 the length of the carpel. Carpels are 5–9, glabrous but not pubescent, strongly reticulate, and toothed on the dorsal borders. Black, silky seed. To speed up suppuration, heated leaves that have been moistened with a little gingivitis oil are used. In Bengal, the expressed Leaf juice is employed in treat intestinal worms in the form of an electuary. The herb is advised for the therapy for snake and scorpion bites when used in conjunction with other medications⁵.

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Plant materials:

Sidaacuta Burm. f fresh's leaves was identified and collected in Tamil Nadu's Thothukudi district's Komaneri village. And three leaves are authenticated by Dr. Sunilkumar K.N Department Head and Research Officer SCRI (Siddha Central Research Institute, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. 160-S01022003A are the authentication certificate number. The leaves of all three plants were removed from their branches in the shade, then let to dry. The leaves were powdered after being crushed. (sieve no. 10/44) and stored in airtight containers with adequate labels.

Instrumentation and techniques:

Macroscopy:

Fresh and healthy leaves of Sidaacuta burm. f. were assessed for their external characteristics.

Microscopy:

Leaf specimens were cut into rectangular pieces that included the midrib and a portion of the lamina. For paradermal sections, specimens measuring 0.05cm²were cut out from the midrib portion of the lamina. The leaf specimens were fixed and embedded in paraffin blocks⁶followed by dehydration, infiltration and sectioning⁷ and finally staining and photographing of the sections⁸. Photography was done by using a Nikon labphot 2 microscope unit. Descriptive features were matched with those included in standard anatomical books^9,10. Air-dried leaves were powdered using a homogenizer and the leaf powder was considered as drug. The total ash, water soluble ash and acid insoluble ash content was determined by employing standard methods of analysis as described¹¹ in the Indian Pharmacopoeia (1966). Quantitative determination of the powdered drug like physicochemical constants¹² were carried out.

Powder microscopy:

For the analysis of plant powder, pinch of fine powder is taken in a test tube and boiled in chloral hydrate solution for few minutes. A few drops of powder were smeared on a slide mounted with phloroglucinol followed by few drops of concentrated HCl¹⁴. The prepared slides were then observed under a microscope and photographed.

Physicochemical parameters:

Various physicochemical parameters (foreign matter, moisture content, ash value, fat content, pH, swelling index, foaming index, fluorescent analysis, extractive value) were analyzed.^14–18

3. RESULTS:

Macroscopy

Stipules have an unequal size of 5 to 8 x 1 to 1.5 mm, one lanceolate and one linear, a petiole that is up to 4 mm long. Simple, alternating, whole, oblong to lanceolate, whole towards base, serrate at base, apex acute to acuminate, sparsely hirsute to glabrate on both surfaces, and three-nerved at base are the characteristics of the leaves¹³ (Figure 1).

Fig – 1 Sidaacuta burm.f.

Microscopy:

Petiole's transverse section:

The contour of the TS (Transervers section) of the petiole is round and wavy. The epidermis has many stellate trichomes that cover the whole surface of the petiole. Following the epidermis is a layer of chlorenchymatous hypodermis, which leads to the cortex. Three to four a number of collenchyma tissues and five to six a number of thin-walled parenchyma cells make up the cortex. It's also possible to visualise the distribution of rosette crystals over the cortex. The massive conjoint collateral vascular bundle in the inner cortical area is covered by a thick pericyclic layer. The rosette crystals in phloem are made up of a collection of thin-walled cells. Xylem vessels make up the tissue. parenchyma, and xylem fibres. The core area is inhabited by primary pith, which is made up of a few parenchyma cells (Figure 2).

Transverse Section of lamina through midrib:

Dorsi-ventral amphistomatic leaf with wavy top and lower epidermis in transverse section. Double-layered palisade cells follow the top epidermis, while the lower epidermis is followed by spongy parenchyma cells. The upper epidermis produces stellate and glandular trichomes, whereas the lower epidermis produces a greater number of covering and glandular trichomes. In the midrib region, there are 1-2 layers of collenchyma cells, followed by 3-4 layers of thin walled parenchyma cells. The midrib ground tissue contains a small number of rosette crystals. Conjoint collateral vascular bundle with xylem enclosed by phloem occupies the midrib's centre. Rosette crystals can be seen in phloem. The vascular bundle is covered by a discontinuous layer of pericyclic sheath (Figure 3).

Quantitative Microscopy:

In the table below, the quantitative information gathered during the microscopy of leaf epidermal peelings was noted. Anisocytic stomata were seen on both sides of the leaf, along with a large number of stellate trichomes and mucilage cells (Table 1, Figure 4).

Powder microscopy:

Upper and lower epidermis fragments with stomata, glandular and stellate trichomes; thick walled fibre with broad lumen and xylem vessels were found in the powder microscopic study of Sidaacuta leaves. The powder was pale green in colour, slightly bitter with mucilaginous taste with no characteristic odour (Figure 5).

Table 1. quantitative microscopy of Sidaacuta burm. f.

Parameters	Upper epidermis	Lower epidermis
Epidermal number	560-600	590-640
Stomatal number	260-290	310-330
Stomatal index	31-32	34
Palisade ratio	7-10
Vein islets	60-65
Vein termination	90-100

Physicochemical parameters:

The results attained from various physicochemical parameters in different parts of A. cachemirica are presented in Table 2.

Table 2.physicochemical Results of leaves of Sidaacutaburm.f.

S.NO	Parameters	*Results*
1.	Moisture Content (%w/w)	7.785
2.	Extractive value (%w/w) Water Soluble Alcohol Soluble	21.12 11.6
3.	Ash values(%W/W) Total Ash Value Acid insoluble ash Water soluble ash Sulphated ash	3.5 1.0 2.0 0.92
4.	Crude fibre content (%w/w)	12.43
5.	Loss on drying (%w/w)	0.93


TS of Lamina through Midrib	Upper midrib region	Lower midrib region

Midrib enlarged view	Lower portion of Midrib	TS of Lamina

Figure 3. Sidaacuta Transverse Section of lamina through midrib


Vein Islets and Vein Terminations	Upper epidermis	Lower epidermis	Stellate trichome	Mucilage

Figure 4.Sidaacutaquantitative microscopy of leaf


Upper epidermis in surface	Lower epidermis in surface		Epidermis surface view in midrib

Epidermis surface view from petiole		Thick walled fibre and xylem vessel

Figure 5. Sidaacuta Powder Microscopy of leaf

4. CONCLUSION:

The study may possibly provide a foundation for further undertakings towards generating understanding about medicinal plants of South India. The pharmacognostic studies are the first step towards ascertaining the identity and the degree of purity of herbal materials. The pharmacognostic analysis is not reported previously in this plant species thus making this first report which provides inclusive pharmacognostic profile of Sidaacuta burm. f. and thereby will be helpful for correct identification and authentication of the species for future studies.

5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

The author sincerely thanks Director and HOD of Pharmacognosy, Siddha central Research Institute, Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Principal, Surya School of Pharmacy, Vikravandi, Tamil Nadu for proving the necessary facilities to carry out the study.

6. COMPETING INTERESTS

The author declare no conflict of interest.

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Received on 01.06.2023 Modified on 13.10.2023

Res. J. Pharmacognosy and Phytochem. 2024; 16(1):1-4.

DOI: 10.52711/0975-4385.2024.00001


TS of petiole	Lower region enlarged	Upper region enlarged	Vascular region and Pith