Pharmacognostical, Physico-Chemical and Preliminary Phytochemical Analysis of Whole Plant of Piper Longum L.

Abstract

This study deals with the Pharmacognostical physicochemical and phytochemical evaluation of the whole plant of Piper longum L. Pharmacognostical studies include macroscopic, microscopic and physicochemical evaluation. Physicochemical constants showed the values of total ash (10.8%), acid insoluble ash (1.3%), water soluble ash (3.2%), sulphated ash (12%), nitrated ash (1.85%), hot extraction (11.2%), water soluble extractive (4.8%), ethanol soluble extractive (12.4%), ether soluble extractive (5.6%), loss on drying (29%), swelling index (0.33) and mucilage content (0.8%) w/w. The preliminary phytochemical screening of the alcoholic extract showed presents of alkaloids, phenolic compounds, tannins, mucilage, starch, steroid and flavonoids. This study helps to development of different standard parameters of the plant which help the plant identification and authentication. Keywords: Piper longum L., Whole plant, Pharmacognostic, Phytochemical, Extract.