PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDY & PHYSICO-CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF ASHWAGANDHA (WITHANIA SOMNIFERA LINN.) -ROOT

Abstract

Withania somnifera family Solanaceae is commonly known as “Indian winter cherry” or
“Indian Ginseng” or Ashwagandha in Hindi. It is the most important medicinal plant of Indian
traditional System of Medicine. Plant root smells like horse (Ashwa), so it is called
Ashwagandha (Means it gives the power of a horse). It is commonly used as a tonic and also to
treat arthritis, leucoderma, constipation, insomnia, nervous breakdown, goiter etc. Crusted root
paste is applied to reduce the inflammation at the joints. The present communication deals with
a details account of the pharmacognostic study and physicochemical analysis carried out on
root of the Withania somnifera. The study includes microscopy, powder microscopic studies,
physicochemical tests, preliminary phytochemical screening, and development of HPTLC
(High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography) fingerprints profile and heavy metal tests.
Physicochemical tests were performed and found average values of root such as loss on drying
at 1050C 5.12% w/w, total ash value 7.15% w/w, acid insoluble ash value 1.5% w/w, alcohol
soluble extractive value 15.50% w/w and water soluble extractive value 25.14%w/w.
Preliminary phytochemical tests were performed and found varous types of the
phytoctoconstituents viz. Alkaloids, tannins, flavonods, saponins and protins. HPTLC (High
Performance Thin Layer Chromatography) fingerprints profile of methanolic extract was done
by using mobile phase toluene: ethyl acetate (7:3). Methanolic extract sample was applied,
developed the plate and major spots Rf values with colour were recorded before derivatization
at 254nm, 366am and after derivatization at 366nm. Heavy metals (Pb, Cd, As, & Hg) were
tested and found under WHO limits Established parameters can be used as standards for
quality control and identification of the plant in herbal compound formulations and also
preparation of a monograph of the plant.