Abstract

Comparative pharmacognostic studies in Calotropis spp.

Author(s): G.M.Vidyasagar, Bharathi Halu

The paper presents the comparative pharmacognostical studies of Calotropis spp, a traditional medicinal plant. It has been used as a folk medicine in many countries as stomachic, tonic, cough, catarrh, purgative etc. The pharmacognostic evaluation included organoleptic, microscopic, macroscopical and microscopical characters, physico-chemical constants, quantitative microscopy parameters, extractive values with different solvents, fluorescence analysis of extracts, its reaction after treatment with chemical reagents under visible light and UV light. Preliminary phytochemical screening and physicochemical properties have been studied.