PHARMACOGNISTICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF HARIDRA

Sarvesh Kumar Bharati*, Abhishek Kumar, Bhuwal Ram and Anil Kumar Singh

ABSTRACT

The Ayurvedic system of medicine is prevalent in India since the Vedic period and as early as the down of human civilization. The pharmacognosy is the study of identification of drugs derived from natural sources. The pharmacognosy and phytochemistry are necessary for authentification of crude drug and to prove therapeutic action as well. The present work deals with the pharmacognostical and preliminary phytochemical studies on the rhizome of Curcuma longa Linn. Haridra (Curcuma longa Linn.) is well known plant in Ayurveda. It has been mentioned in Vedas, Brihattrai and later it has been described in Nighantu. Pharmacognostical parameters for the rhizome of Curcuma longa Linn.was studied with the aim of drawing the pharmacopoeial standards for this species. Macroscopical and Microscopical Characters, physico-chemical constants, quantitative microscopy parameters, extractive values with different solvents. Preliminary phytochemical screening on the rhizome of Curcuma longa Linn. was studied. The determination of these characters will help future researchers in their Phytochemical as well as Pharmacological analysis of this species. TLC profile was established for successive extracts of the rhizome powder using TLC system.

Keywords: Ayurveda, Haridra, Curcuma longa, Phytochemical, Pharmacognosy.