Pharmacognostic study of Chlorophytum tuberosum Baker

Abstract

Chlorophytum tuberosum Baker belongs to family Liliaceae and is being used in the indigenous systems of medicine as a galactogogue and aphrodisiac. It is being sold in the market under the common name safed musali. The white tuberous roots of this plant are the medicinally useful parts. The tuberous roots of other species of Chlorophytum, Asparagus, Bombax and Orchids are also sometimes called safed musali leading to confusion. In order to ensure correct botanical standardization to remove the controversy, a detailed pharmacognostic study on tuberous roots of Chlorophytum has been carried out in this study .

Keywords: Chlorophytum tuberosum; High Performance thin layer chromatography; pharmacognostic standardization; phytochemical analysis.

Figure 1

Habit of Chlorophytum tuberosum

Figure 2

Tuberous roots of Chlorophytum tuberosum

Figure 3

Transverse section of root of Chlorophytum tuberosum (10× × 3.3×)

Figure 4

Detection of saponins by high performance thin layer chromatography techniques

Graph 1

Peak for saponins for 20 μl plant extract

Graph 2

Peak for saponins for 10 μl plant extract

Graph 3

Peak for saponins for 5 μl plant extract

Figure 5

Detection of stegmasteroids by HPTLC techniques

Graph 4

Peak for stegmasteroids for 20 μl plant extract

Graph 5

Peak for stegmasteroids for 10 μl plant extract

Graph 6

Peak for stegmasteroids for 5 μl plant extract