~ 270 ~ Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2016; 5(3): 270-275 E-ISSN: 2278-4136 P-ISSN: 2349-8234 JPP 2016; 5(3): 270-275 Received: 26-03-2016 Accepted: 27-04-2016 H Bello Department of Biological sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria Z Mohammed Department of Pharmacognosy and Drug Development, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria UA Katsayal Department of Pharmacognosy and Drug Development, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria Correspondence: H Bello Department of Biological sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria Pharmacognostic evaluation of the root Cassia sieberiana D C: A promising ethnomedicinal plant H Bello, Z Mohammed and UA Katsayal Abstract Cassia sieberiana D.C. (Fabaceae) though widely used in traditional medicine as an analgesic in dysmenorrhoea, ulcer and general body pains; there is no published report on it standardization. Pharmacognostic evaluation of the root will therefore assist in standardization for quality, purity and sample identification of the plant drug. Evaluation of fresh and powdered root of this plant was carried out to determine its pharmacognostical profile, including macroscopic, microscopic, histochemical and quantitative parameters. Chemical profile of the root was also determined using thin layer chromatography (TLC). The root was found to be cylindrical in shape, brown in colour, with characteristics odour and very bitter taste when chewed. When the root was cut transversely it revealed the presence of cork cells, narrow cortex, beneath which is a layer of parenchyma cells, prominent vessels, biserate medullary rays and small pith. Cellulose, hemicellulose and lignified cell wall were present. Calcium oxalate crystals are prisms in shape, measuring 19.29 ± 1.4 µm. Starch grains are oval in shape measuring 10.64 ± 0.82 µm. Moisture content was found to be 6.2 ± 0.3 (%w/w), total ash was 5.8 ± 0.43 (%w/w), acid-insoluble ash was 1.0 ± 0.24 (%w/w), water-soluble ash was 3.5 ± 0.24 (%w/w), alcohol soluble extractive was 12.0 ± 0.47 (%w/w), water soluble extractive was 6.0 ± 0.47 (%w/w), Swelling index was 3.5 ± 0.00 (%w/w), foaming index was less than 100, tannins content, was 39 (%w/w), Bitterness value, was 8400 unit/g. Phytochemical constituents include anthraquinones, flavonoid, saponins, steroid/terpenoids, tannins, and cardiac glycoside. These findings will be useful towards establishing pharmacognostic standards and preparation of monograph of the root of C. sieberiana. Keywords: Fabaceae; standardization; quantitative parameters 1. Introduction Cassia sieberiana D.C. (Cassia kotchiyana Oliv) belongs to the family Fabaceae (Leguminosae – Caesalpinioideae). The plant is widely distributed in the Southern Sahel and Sudan Savanna from Senegal to Cameroon, Gambia East to DR. Congo and Uganda [1, 2] . C. sieberiana is widely used for the treatment and prevention of various diseases. The phytochemical analysis of the roots had shown the presence of flavonoids, anthracenic derivates and non- hydrolysable tannins [3] . Previous studies showed that ethanolic root extract of C. sieberiana had an anti-parasitic effect, myorelaxant and anti-spasmodic activity [4] . It was also shown that C. sieberiana extracts had anti-microbial activity against Neisseria gonorrheal, Herpes simplex virus type 1 and African swine fever virus [5] . Analgesic and anti- inflammatory activity of aqueous root extract of C. sieberiana was also investigated [6] . The flavones from leaf extract of C. sieberiana cause diuresis and have anti-bacterial and anti- inflammatory activity. In-vitro test only showed low activity of the extracts against trypanosomes leaf extracts were found to be active against Staphylococcus lutea, Mycobacterium phlei, Bacillus subtilis and Proteus sp. but not against Staphylococcus albus, Pseudomonas acruginosa or Escherichia coli [7] . Though the plant, C. sieberiana is used extensively in traditional medicine, the detail pharmacognostic standards for quality control profile including bitterness value, swelling index, foaming index, tannin content are still lacking. The present work has been undertaken to establish the various pharmacognostical parameters, which could serve as a measure of authentication and quality control of the crude drug. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1 Solutions, Chemicals and Reagent Freshly prepared solutions and analytical grade chemicals were used in all the experiments.