~ 720 ~ Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2018; 7(5): 720-724 E-ISSN: 2278-4136 P-ISSN: 2349-8234 JPP 2018; 7(5): 720-724 Received: 08-07-2018 Accepted: 09-08-2018 Kavita N Yadav Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s College of Pharmacy, Thergaon, Pune, Maharashtra, India Prasad V Kadam Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s College of Pharmacy, Thergaon, Pune, Maharashtra, India Chandrashekhar L Bhingare Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s College of Pharmacy, Thergaon, Pune, Maharashtra, India Manohar J Patil Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s College of Pharmacy, Thergaon, Pune, Maharashtra, India Correspondence Kavita N Yadav Assistant Professor of Pharmacognosy, Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s College of Pharmacy, Thergaon, Pune, Maharashtra, India Quality assessment of Syzygium aromaticum : A pharmacognostic and phytochemical approach Kavita N Yadav, Prasad V Kadam, Chandrashekhar L Bhingare and Manohar J Patil Abstract Since from ancient time human beings are taking help of plants as a medicine, although most of these applications are anarchic. The worldwide herbal resources have a great potential as drug and are of great commercial importance. This use of herbal product has also given rise to various forms of abuse and adulteration of the products leading to patient’s dissatisfaction and in some instances fatal consequences. They are very often obtained and processed without any scientific evaluation and launched onto the market without any safety and toxicology studies. There is a need to development of good quality assurance and standardization of herbal medicines and products. On that basis, an attempt was made on well-known herbal drug Syzygium aromaticum flower buds by evaluation of pharmacognostic, phytochemical and toxicological parameters like heavy metals, aflatoxins, total microbial load and pesticide residues. Keywords: Pharmacognostic evaluation, Syzygium aromaticum, standardization, quality control Introduction Majority of the users trust on herbal medicines for health care because the other treatment options available are costly and they are often thought to be more associated with serious side effects. Medicinal plants are defined as a group of plants that possess some distinct properties that qualify them as articles of drugs and therapeutic agents. Medicinal plants contain some organic compounds having definite physiological action on the human body and these bioactive substances include tannins, alkaloids, carbohydrates, terpenoids, steroids and flavonoids [1] . These Chemical constituents having therapeutic activity found in high concentrations in plants determine their considerable role in the prevention of various degenerative diseases. Most of the medicines today are obtained from natural sources or semi synthetic derivatives of natural products used in the traditional and alternative systems of medicine. Spices play a very important role as a medicine in healthcare system. Spices like clove, black pepper, turmeric, nutmeg and cinnamon have been used for centuries as food preservatives, taste modifier and as medicinal plants mainly due to its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities [2] . Nowadays, many reports confirm the antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anticarcinogenic properties of spice plants. Clove in particular has attracted the attention due to its active use in food & pharmaceutical industry standing out among the other spices. Essential oil compounds are fat soluble thus possess the ability to permeate the membranes of the skin before being captured by the microcirculation and drained into the systemic circulation which reaches all targets organs [3] . Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) is one of the most commonly used spices in Indian kitchens. Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree Syzygium aromaticum, native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cookeries all over the world [4] . Clove oil has germicidal properties and is frequently used in the dental care due to its germicidal properties. It has been shown to be a potent chemo preventive agent, used by the traditional Ayurvedic healers of India since prehistoric times to treat respiratory and digestive ailments [5] . Whole and ground cloves are used to enhance the flavor of meat and rice dishes and used widely in curry powders and masalas. They are highly valued in medicine as a carminative and stimulant and are said to be a natural anthelmintic [6] . Oil of clove is used extensively for flavoring all kinds of food products, such as meats, sausages, baked goods, confectionery, candies, table sauces, pickles, etc. It is used in medicine for its antibacterial, antiseptic and antibiotic properties [7, 8] . It has also been successfully used for asthma and various allergic disorders by oral administration. Sesquiterpenes, found in clove were also investigated as potential anti-carcinogenic agents. The oil has many industrial applications and is used extensively in perfumes, soaps and as a clearing agent in histological work.