ABSTRACT:
Zingiber officinale is an important medicinal plant belonging to family zingiberaceae. The rhizome of plant is widely used in Chinese, Ayurvedic and Unani herbal medicines all over the world for the treatment of dyspepsia, vomiting, diarrhoea, rheumatism, migraine headache, muscular disorder and dementia. Systematic Pharmacognostical evaluation of dried powdered rhizome of plant of both regions was carried out with respect to macroscopy, microscopy, physicochemical parameters and fluorescent analysis. In powder microscopy parenchymatous cells with idioblast, parenchyma with oleo resin, flattened starch grain, thickened vessels and fibres were observed. Size of microscopic characters was also measured. Physicochemical evaluation showed results like Ash value- HP region [total ash (8.25%), acid insoluble ash (0.66), water soluble ash (6%) sulphated ash (2.5%)] and Assam region [total ash (8.40%), acid insoluble ash (0.65), Water soluble ash (5.66%) sulphated ash (2.3%)]. Swelling index – HP region (6.26 ml), Assam region (3.83 ml). LOD-H.P region (11.3%), Assam region (5.26%). Foaming index of both HP and Assam region was found to be less than 100. Cold maceration- HP region [ pet ether (3%), benzene (3%), ethyl acetate (3.6%), chloroform (6%), acetone (7%), methanol ( 23%)] Assam region [pet ether (1.6%), benzene (3.3%), ethyl acetate (4%), chloroform (6.3%), acetone (7.3%), methanol (11.65). Successive extraction- HP region [pet ether (4%), benzene (4.5%), ethyl acetate (4.98%), chloroform (6.68%), acetone (7.4%), methanol (13.2%)] Assam region [pet ether (3%), benzene (3.5%), ethyl acetate (4.6%) chloroform (7%), acetone (7.2%), methanol (10.4)]. The results provided useful data that is essential for standardisation and characterisation of powdered drug.