Abstract

Aerva sanguinolenta (L) Blume is a traditional medicinal plant possessing many medicinal values. In folklore medication, the plant was used as wound healing and anti-inflammatory agent. The plant was evaluated and found to possess hepatoprotective, wound healing, diuretic activities. Though it was found to possess many therapeutic properties the plant was not standardized in terms of its identification parameters. It is necessary to have quality control parameters to ensure the purity, safety and efficacy of medicinal plant. The present study provides the quality parameters by employing pharmacognostic and phytochemical studies. Pharmacognostic study was conducted on fresh and dried plant material as per the guidelines of World Health Organization which includes organoleptic, macroscopic, microscopic and phytochemical studies. The plant is usually herb, clambering sub-shrub with tap root and amaranth purple colored leaves and stems. Stems and leaves are covered with dense whitish-woolly hairs. Leaves are opposite, dorsiventral with anisocytic stomata. Multicellular covering trichomes are present in stem and leaf. Druses of calcium oxalate crystals are present both in the stem and leaf. The preliminary phytochemical studies showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, triterpenoids and carbohydrates. The quality control parameters obtained in the study is helpful in the identification and standardization of the plant material which further supports in the preparation of monograph for the plants used in folklore medicine.