PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF THE ROOT TUBERS OF CURCULIGO ORCHIOIDES GAERTN.

India is well known as the emporium of medicinal plants harboring many plants of medicinal importance, of which Curculios orchioides is one that has been reported to possess medicinal importance for the treatment of various diseases traditionally as well as scientifically. An attempt was made herein to undertake a detailed pharmacognostical and preliminary phytochemical investigation of the root tubers of Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. for the first time. The pharmacognostic study comprises of the taxonomical characters of the root tubers of Curculigo orchioides, histochemical tests, and diagnostic characters. The phytochemical analysis consists of the determination of physicochemical constants, fluorescence analysis, and preliminary organic analysis. The diagnostic characters of the plant showed that the leaves are radical with parallel venation while flowers are solitary, trimerous, and ovary inferior. These parameters help in the standardization of the crude drug and in formulating Pharmacopoeial standards for the crude drug. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the crude drug showed the presence of carbohydrates and glycosides, phytosterols, fixed oils and fats, phenolic compounds and tannins, saponins, flavonoids, gums, and mucilage.