<span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA" lang="EN-US">Quality control parameters to detect adulteration of market samples of Indian <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Manjistha</i> by Irani <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Manjistha</i></span>

Abstract

<span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt" lang="EN-US">The stems of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Manjistha</i> are official in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India and equated with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Rubia cordifolia </i>L. They are traditionally used for curing blood disorders, skin diseases, as anti-inflammatory, haemostatic, urolithotriptic, antipyretic, analgesic, anthelmintic and for improving complexion. They are found in several important traditional medicinal formulations and hold a great export potential as well. However, stems of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Rubia tinctorum</i> L. are also available in the Indian market, which are not official and have been found to contain lucidin, a genotoxic compound. The present investigation deals with comparative pharmacognostical study of stems of both species and establishment of various quality parameters. Morphologically, the stems of both the species vary a lot. Transverse section of both stems showed the presence of reddish dye in cortex and acicular crystals of calcium oxalate; however, the width of cork, cortex, stele and pith varied. Powder microscopy revealed the presence of annular and pitted xylem vessels, xylem fibers and acicular crystals in singular and bundles; however their sizes varied in both species. From the phytochemical screening, the detected phyto-constituents were estimated by their respective procedures, which also varied in both species. Thus, the present work can serve as a very useful botanical and phytochemical tool in the identification, authentication and standardization of the raw material and prepared formulations of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">R. cordifolia</i> L. and distinguishing it from of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">R. tinctorum </i>L.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">, </i>which will consequently benefit the herbal industries and traditional medicinal healers.

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