Abstract

A PHARMAGONOSTICAL STUDY OF TERMINALIA ARJUNA

*Dr. Ramkumar Agrawal, Dr. Pankaj Mishra, Dr. Manjula Mishra, Dr. Rakesh Saraswat and Dr. Manoj Singh, Reader,

ABSTRACT

Since vedic kala and Samhita kala even, our Acharyas have stressed on proper identification of the drug before use. In Nighantu kala, Raj Nighantukar has given 7 methods for identification of drug,these are Rudhi, Swabhav, Desh, Lanchan, Upama, Virya and Atidesh. But later on with the increasing in number of the drugs and Nighntu, which are hotchpotch of synonyms, drugs became controversial. Moreover today, in the age of globalization, raw drugs collection is done by unskilled persons causes doubt in the genuineness and possible adulteration. Unlike the traditional methods the participation of traders in the chain of procurement of drugs, adulteration is increasing day by day when the original genuine material is not available in sufficient quantity; the allied species of plant with proven efficacy or similar chemical constituents can be used as substitute and in such instances efforts should be made for a systematic identification by phrmacognostical methods. The term pharmacognosy is derived from two Greek words ‘Pharmacen’ means drugs and Gignosco or Gnosis - to acquire knowledge. The original and basic approach towards pharmacognosy includes study of morphological system, study of the cell structures and organization and study of tissue system, which still holds a key in identification and the better understanding of the correct species of the plant and also to help us to differentiate between closely related species of the same genus. It is also the first step to standardize a drug, which is the need of today.

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