Volume 13, Issue 1, M arch – April 2012; Article-017 ISSN 0976 – 044X International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research Page 95 Available online at www.globalresearchonline.net V. N. Patil 1 and S. S. Deokule* 2 1. Vishal N. Patil Department of Botany, University of Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India. 2. S. S. Deokule, Prof. & Head, Department of Botany, University of Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India. Accepted on: 29-12-2011; Finalized on: 25-02-2012. ABSTRACT Chlorophytum tuberosum Baker and Chlorophytum laxum R. Br. belong to family Liliaceae and is being used in the indigenous systems of medicine as a galactogogue and aphrodisiac. These species are commonly known as safed musali. The drug part is usually used as the white tuberous roots. The present studies include the macroscopic, microscopic characters, histochemistry and phytochemistry. The phytochemical screening is also confirmed by HPTLC analysis for saponins and stegmasteroids. Keywords: Chlorophytum, Pharmacognosy, Phytochemical analysis, HPTLC. INTRODUCTION Chlorophytum tuberosum Baker and Chlorophytum laxum R. Br. belongs to family Liliaceae. In India, it is found in rainfed areas. The plant generally grows along the forest margins, grassy slopes and rocky places along valleys (between 1300 and 2800m) 1 . C. tuberosum is an erect plant growing up to a height of 1.5–2ft with sheathing leaf base acute to acuminate with entire margin. The roots are tuberous with ellipsoid tubers hanging from them, 10–12 cm long and 1–1.9 cm in diameter and C. laxum is also the erect plant growing up to a height of 1ft with sheathing leaf base acute to acuminate with entire margin. Tuberous roots are cylindrical and are measuring 10 -14 cm long and 1–1.4 cm diameter 2 . The tuberous roots of both the species are medicinally important and are commonly known as safed musali in indigenous system of medicine. It is used as an aphrodisiac and galactogogue 3-5 as well as for its nutritive, health promoting properties and immunoenhancing, hepatoprotective and antioxidants activities 6-10 . The tubers are also used in fever, leucorrhoea and also as an aphrodisiac (Kirtikar and Basu, 1975). The species Asparagus, Bombax and Orchids are also known as safed musali in the literature 3,4 . Therefore, it is important to define specifications that will allow the correct identification of the plant which is being sold as safed musali. In addition, there are 17 species of Chlorophytum recorded in India of which 11 species of Chlorophytum are found to be growing in Maharashtra 11 . Hence, C. tuberosum Baker and C. laxum R. Br. choose for the present investigation as it is being sold widely in the market under the common name safed musali because of its white tuberous roots. M ATERIALS AND M ETHODS Collection and identification of plant materials The plant materials were collected from in and around Pune district of Maharashtra during the rainy season for correct botanical identification. Efforts were made to collect the plants in flowering and fruiting condition for the correct botanical identification. It was identified with the help of Flora of The Presidency of Bombay 2 . Herbarium specimens were prepared and authenticated from Botanical Survey of India, Western Circle, Pune (India). It is housed in Botanical Garden of Botany Department, Pune. The voucher specimens number for C. tuberosum Baker and C. laxum R. Br. are PAVICH2/ 2009 and PAVICH5/2009 respectively 12 . M icroscopic and macroscopic evaluation Thin (25μ) hand cut sections were taken from the fresh tuberous roots, permanently double-stained and finally mounted in Canada balsam as per the plant microtechniques method of Johansen 13 . The macroscopic evaluation was studied by the method of Trease and Evans 14 and Wallis 15 . Histochemical study The thin transverse sections of fresh root were taken (about 25μ). It was treated with respective reagent for the detection and localization of chemicals in the tissues as per the method of Krishnamurthy 16 . Phytochemical evaluation Some roots were dried under the shade so as to avoid the decomposition of chemical constituents, powdered in a blender and finally stored in dry air tied containers for phytochemical screening. Ash and percentage extractive content was measured by following the standard pharmacopoeial techniques 17 . Fluorescence analysis was carried out as per Chase and Pratt 18 . Qualitative phytochemical tests were carried out by standard methods of Harborne 19 and Trease and Evans 14 . Quantitative phytochemical analysis was determined for proteins, carbohydrates and saponins by the methods of Lowry et al . 20 , Nelson 21 and Obadoni and Ochuko 22 respectively. The phytochemical screening was also done COM PARATIVE PHARM ACOGNOSTIC STUDY OF TW O SPECIES OF C HLOROPHYTUM KER-GAW L Research Article