Majumder P / Pharmacie Globale (IJCP) 2011, 8 (06) 1 Pharmacie Globale © (IJCP), Vol. 02, Issue 08 Available online at www.pharmacie-globale.info PHARMACIE GLOBALE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMPREHENSIVE PHARMACY PHYTOCHEMICAL, PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL STANDARDIZATION OF Peperomia pellucida (L.) HBK. STEM Pulak Majumder Department of Pharmacognosy, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Pharmacy, Trikaripur, Kasaragod, Kerala, India. Received: 12 June 2011; Revised: 22 July 2011; Accepted: 29 July 2011; Available online: 7 August 2011 INTRODUCTION The knowledge about the use of medicinal plants has been accrued through centuries and such plants are still valued even today, although synthetics, antibiotics etc have attained greater prominence in modern medicine. The indigenous systems of medicine practices in India are based mainly on the use of plants. 1 Herbal drugs play an important role in health care programs especially in developing countries. Ancient Indian literature incorporates a remarkably broad definition of medicinal plants and considers Ǯallǯ plant parts to be potential sources of medicinal substances. 2 Unfortunately the use of medicinal plants in these countries is based primarily on empirical knowledge, and many of the plants have not been scientifically evaluated for their safety and efficacy. 3 There is a need for documentation of research work carried out on traditional medicines. 4 With this backdrop, it becomes extremely important to make an effort towards standardization of the plant material to be used as medicine. The process of standardization can be achieved by stepwise pharmacognostic and phytochemical studies. 5 These studies help in identification and authentication of the plant material. Correct Identification and quality assurance of the starting materials is an essential prerequisite to ensure reproducible quality of herbal medicine which will contribute to its safety and efficacy. Simple pharmacognostic techniques used in standardization of plant material include its *Corresponding Author: Pulak Majumder Lecturer, Department of Pharmacognosy, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Pharmacy, Trikaripur, Kasaragod, Kerala, India. Contact no: +91-7736404410; Email: pulak2007@gmail.com morphological, anatomical and biochemical characteristics. 6 The genus Peperomia pellucida is a member of the family Piperaceae. Peperomia pellucida is a common fleshy tropical annual, shallow-rooted herb, usually growing to a height of about 15 to 45 cm. It is characterized by fibrous roots, succulent stems, shiny, heart-shaped, fleshy leaves and tiny, dot-like seeds attached to several fruiting spikes. It has a mustard-like odor when crushed (Figure 1). Figure 1. Plant of Peperomia pellucida The plant has a thread like but angular trailing stem. Those growing in rich habitats have fleshy and stout stems. They are translucent pale green, erect or ascending, usually 15-45 cm long, internodes usually 3-8 cm long and glabrous. Leaves are alternate, blunt, heart shaped and as transparent and smooth as candle wax grows as a long shrubby looking creeping cover or as an epiphyte. They are medium green on upper surface, lower surface whitish green, thinly fleshy, drying papery, broadly ovate, 1.5- 4 (- 5) cm long, 1-3.3 cm wide, palmately 3-nerved or 5- nerved, glabrous, apex acuminate, base subcordate to truncate, petioles 0.5-2 (-3) cm long, glabrous. The ABSTRACT Peperomia pellucida is an America and Asia originated small herb belonging to the Family Piperaceae. The stems of Peperomia pellucida are reported to have good medicinal values in traditional system of medicine. The stems of Peperomia pellucida were collected locally, shade dried and extracted with methanol and water by using Soxhlet apparatus. The yield of methanolic and water extracts of stem were 7.25% and 15.05% respectively. The preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out for the presence of Carbohydrates, Alkaloids, Tannins, Flavonoids, Steroids, Triterpenoids etc and absence of saponins and proteins for methanolic extracts of Peperomia pellucida (stems). The physical evaluation was carried out for the determination of methanol-soluble extractive value, water-soluble extractive values; ash value includes total ash, acid insoluble ash and water- soluble ash, foaming index, swelling index, fibres measurement and moisture content for stems of Peperomia pellucida. The present study also highlights the Pharmacognostical studies on the stems of the plant Peperomia pellucida. These observations will help in the Pharmacognostical identification and standardization of the drug in the crude form and also to distinguish the drug from its adulteration. Keywords: Peperomia pellucida, Microscopy, Phytochemical screening, Physical evaluation. Research Article ISSN 0976-8157