Abstract

PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON THE ROOTS OF SAPINDUS MUKOROSSI GAERTN.

Kuljeet Kaur*

Abstract

Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn. (Family: Sapindaceae) is one of the best known species of the genus Sapindus, found in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. It is commonly used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry due to the presence of high content of saponins. Local tribes in northern India have been using the plant for its high medicinal properties.The author during the literature survey noticed that there was no data available on the roots of Sapindus mukorossi that could show its detailed pharmacognostical characteristics and no monograph has ever mentioned their standard physiochemical parameters. With the aim to investigate the pharmacognostical, physicochemical and phytochemical screening of Sapindus mukorossi roots, this study focuses on its macroscopic/organoleptic evaluation, microscopic evaluation (transverse section, histochemical and powder microscopy), physiochemical parameters analysis (fluorescence analysis, ash values, extractive values, moisture content and loss on drying), preliminary phytochemical screening and thin layer chromatography. The observations may be useful toward providing liable basis for identification, purity and quality of the roots of S. mukorossi and may be considered to set pharmacopoeial standards.

Keywords: Macroscopic, Microscopic, Pharmacognostical, Physiochemical, Phytochemical, Sapindus.