Pharmacognostical and phytochemical evaluations of bark of pithecellobium dulce – a madras thorn plant

Pithecellobiumdulce is used Ayurvedic and Unani systems and other herbal medicine systems. The bark of Pithecellobium dulce has a good medicinal value. The present work is an attempt to study the pharmacognostical features, phytochemical and physico-chemical of a Madras thorn plant P.dulce were established by standard methods as prescribed in the Ayurveda Pharmacopoeia of India. The transverse section (TS) of bark revealed the presence of cork, phelloderm, phellogem, cortex, secondary phloem and medullary rays. Phytochemical studies showed the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, amino acid, steroids, flavonoids, alkaloids and tannins. Physico-chemical evaluation established, Ash values - Total, acid insoluble, water soluble and sulphated ash values were 6.88%, 0.88%, 3.63% and 10.21%, respectively. Extractive values - Alcohol and water soluble extractive values were 10.78% and9.36% respectively.The Methanol and Aqueous bark extracts (μg/ml) yielded 56.385 ± 0.100 and 35.170 ± 0.200, μg/ml gallic acid-equivalent phenolic content and 1.486 ± 0.051 and 6.287 ± 0.322, μg/ml quercetin-equivalent flavonoid content respectively. The result of this study is a detailed account of the distinct pharmacognostical features, phytochemical and physico-chemical of a Madras thorn plant P.dulce.