ISSN 2278- 4136 ZDB-Number: 2668735-5 IC Journal No: 8192   Online Available at www.phytojournal.com    Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry  Vol. 1 No. 2 2012                                                 www.phytojournal.com                                               Page | 32   Organoleptic and Microscopic Analysis of Gentiana regeliana Vikrant Arya 1* , Raneev Thakur 1 1. College of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Joginder Nagar, Mandi H.P., India. [Email: arya.vikrant30@gmail.com] Organoleptic and microscopic examination revealed various diagnostic characters. Stem (dried, 30-40 cm long, light brown having characteristic odour with bitter taste and smooth texture), flower (dried, 3-5 cm long and crumpled, dark brown to blue in color having characteristic odour and bitter taste with smooth texture), leaf (dried, 7-8 cm long and broken, brownish green, characteristic odour, bitter in taste and smooth texture). The transverse section of the stem (hollow in between) of Gentiana regeliana Gand. showed presence of epidermal cell and abundant xylem vessels. Stomata arrangement was anisocytic and anomocytic with numerous non-glandular trichomes on both surfaces. These findings should be expedient for inclusion in the Pharmacopoeia of Medicinal plants. Keyword: Gentiana, Microscopy, Macroscopic 1. Introduction Gentiana regeliana Gand. is perennial stem upto 40 cm tall grows at an altitude of 350-2300 meters mostly erect, slender, simple, glabrous. Linear-elliptic to elliptic lanceolate leaf with distinct veins. Flowers are arranged in terminal corymbose cymes with 3-5 flowers with 3-5 cm slender pedicel. Seeds are of capsules ellipsoid type with seed coat thick reticulate having 0.8-1 mm in size [1-5] . Gentiana regeliana Syn. Gentiana olivieri is used in traditional medicine in Unani and Ayurveda system of medicines in arthritis, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, antiulcerogenic, gastroprotectant and sudorific. It has been also employed as a hepatoprotective, aphrodisiac plant in Turkey [6-7] . The objective of the present study is to evaluate various pharmacognostic standards like macroscopy and microscopy of Gentiana regeliana Gand. 2. Materials and Method: 2.1 Organoleptic Studies The plant material was procured from Global Herbal Store, Delhi. Macroscopic investigation (evaluation of drugs by color, odour, size, shape, taste and special features including touch and texture etc.). Organoleptic evaluation can be done by means of organs of sense which includes the above parameters and thereby define some specific characteristics of the material which can be considered as a first step towards establishment of identity and degree of purity [8] . The organoleptic investigations (color, shape and size, odour and taste, surface characteristics and texture) were performed. 2.2 Microscopic Studies (Transverse section of Gentiana regeliana Gand. stem) Microscopic characteristic parameters were studied in entire and powdered form and photographs have been taken using digital