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ISSN (Online) : 2277-4572

A PHARMACOGNOSTICAL STANDARDISATION STUDY ON TOONA CILIATA M. ROEM., BARK

Abstract

Author(s): Mann Avninder Singh1, Sandhu Bharpur Singh2, Dwivedi Gopal Krishna3, Kaushik Rajan

Toona ciliata M. Roem formerly called as Cedrella toona Roxb, known as Tooni in Sanskrit and Red cedar in English is a very important medicinal plant of renowned Meliaceae family. Tooni is used in our traditional system of medicine for the cure and prevention of various ailments viz. Antileprotic, bitter tonic and as anthelimintic. In the present study an attempt was made to study the pharmacognostical features of fresh and dried bark of Toona ciliata. Organoleptic (Colour, odour & taste), Macroscopic (Size, shape, texture & fracture) and Microscopic (Powder microscopic characteristics) evaluations were performed to establish the qualitative and diagnostic features. The various physiochemical parameters (Loss on drying, foreign matter, extractive values, ash values, pH, percent crude fibres) were also determined for the effective standardisation of the medicinal plant material. Beside all above mentioned conventional methods of standardisation, the powdered bark was also subjected to powder drug analysis with different chemical reagent and for fluorescence drug analysis on exposure to different wavelengths of ultraviolet light. The various determinations and analysis which were carried out in the present study will certainly help for first line identification and quality control of plant material in its crude form. Further, the authentic material can be subjected to the phytochemical investigations, isolation of phytochemicals and many more for the validation of vast traditional therapeutic potential of the plant material in terms of its in-vivo pharmacological screening