Abstract

DEVELOPMENT OF PRELIMINARY PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROFILE OF SHYAMAKA (ECHINOCLOA FRUMENTACEA LINN.)

Bhavana Patel*, Shubhangi Kamble, Harisha C. R. and Vinay J. Shukla

Abstract

Shyamaka (Echinocloa frumentacea Linn.) belongs to the Gramineae family, is important Dhanya (millet) for Rukshana Upakrama (Dryness Therapy) in Indian System of Medicine. It is annual grass found throughout tropical India, used in form of Krishara in the fast. Till date no work has reported the pharmacognostical characters of its seed. Hence, present study was planned with an aim to develop the pharmacognostical and preliminary physico-chemical profile of Echinocloa frumentacea seed and to collect classical data related to Shyamaka. Seeds of Echinocloa frumentacea were collected from local market of Jamnagar. Its macroscopic, microscopic, powder characters and preliminary physico-chemical parameters were studied. Physico-chemical parameters showed that water soluble extract 0.4954% w/w is less than methanol soluble extract 2.1479% and loss on drying 4.123%, etc. HPTLC was carried out after organizing appropriate solvent system in which maximum four spots were distinguished at 254 nm and three spots at 366 nm. The findings of the study will be useful for the identification and standardization of the Echinocloa frumentacea seed.

Keywords: Shyamaka, Echinocloa frumentacea, Pharmacognosy, Physico-chemical analysis, HPTLC.