Abstract

PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDY OF KATPHALA

*Sara Monsy Oommen and Songire Atul Prakash

Abstract

India has about 45000 plant species of which several thousands have been claimed to possess medicinal properties. Katphala (Myrica esculentanta Buch.ham.) is one of the important medicines used in Ayurveda which is famous for its Shirovirechana (errhine) property. Katphala is also used in many diseases like asthma, diabetes, allergic rhinitis, But the drug is found adultered in market at some places hampering it's clinical efficacy. Hence it was proposed to conduct a pharmagnostic study to identify the genuine macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of Katphala so as to avoid adulteration and to help the Ayurveda scholars and doctors for it's clinical use further clinical research with genuine drug sample. Proposed Pharmacognostic study was undertaken at Department of Dravyaguna, Govt. Ayurveda College, Tripinithura.

Keywords: Katphala, Myrica esculenta Buch.-Ham., adulteration, pharmacognostic analysis.