Abstract

AN IN-DEPTH STUDY ON THE PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOGNOSTIC FEATURES OF PEDALIUM MUREX L.

Elizabeth Robin*, Sameera Patel and Mammen Daniel

ABSTRACT

Pedalium murex L., an important medicinal herb of India, is used for its properties and also as a substitute for Tribulus terrestris. This herb is systematically studied for its chemical and pharmacognostic characters in all the four parts like fruits, leaves, stem and roots. It is a rich store house of flavones, mucilage and phenolic acids. The different parts i.e. fruits, leaves, stem and roots are almost similar in having all these chemicals. But the roots, in addition, contain carotenoids and fixed oil. Pharmacognostically, all the four parts studied are distinct and are easily identifiable. The roots are distinct from stem in absence of collenchyma, pith parenchyma, glands and chloroplast (chlorophyll) containing cells. Leaves have glands, palisade, poor mechanical tissues (absence of vessels) etc. Stem possesses glands, collenchyma, large pith parenchyma and rectangular pitted ray cells. The fruits are very distinct in having large amount of long pitted fibre -sclereids with narrow lumen and hexagonal lignified testa. Tribulus terrestris, for which P.murex is a substitute, is entirely different in having flavonols, saponins and alkaloids. The characters presented in this study give ample scope to distinguish both Pedalium and Tribulus from each other chemically and pharmacognostically.

Keywords: Pedalium murex, Tribulus, Flavones, Mucilage, Pharmacognosy.