Pharmacognostic study and preliminary phytochemical investigation of Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. ex Nees

Andrographis paniculata (family –Acanthaceae) is an annual herbaceous plant with branches that grows up to a height of 50-150 cm in moist, shaded areas. Its stem is abruptly quadrangular, heavily branched, and has a delicate texture that is readily broken. It is found in Southeast Asia, tropical and subtropical Asia, and a few other nations like Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Caribbean islands, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand etc. It is widely used in different traditional medicinal systems or countries for medicinal purposes by the traditional practitioners, tribes or community as a folklore remedies. The present communication provides a detailed account of the pharmacognostic study carried out on various parts of the Andrographis paniculata. The study includes macroscopy, microscopy, powder microscopic studies, physicochemical tests, preliminary phytochemical screening, development of HPTLC (High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography) fingerprints profile and heavy metal tests. Physicochemical parameters were performed and found average values of three parts (root, stem and leaf) such as root loss on drying at 1050C 4.93% w/w, total ash value 10.16% w/w, acid insoluble ash value 0.21% w/w, alcohol soluble extractive value 13.98% w/w and water soluble extractive value 25.77%w/w. Stem loss on drying at 1050C 6.23% w/w, total ash value 6.88% w/w, acid insoluble ash value 0.25% w/w, alcohol soluble extractive value 18.46% w/w and water soluble extractive value 21.94%w/w and leaf loss on drying at 1050C was found 6.29% w/w, total ash value 7.30% w/w, acid insoluble ash value 0.13% w/w, alcohol soluble extractive value 21.93% w/w and water soluble extractive value 38.68%w/w. HPTLC (High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography) fingerprints profile of methanolic extract was done by using mobile phase toluene: ethyl acetate (7:3). Andrographolide and Ferullic acid standard markers were applied, major spots Rf values with colour were recorded before derivatization at 254nm. Rf values are 0.25 black, leaf, stem and root with Andrographolide standard marker, and 0.20 light black color of stem, and root with Ferullic acid standard marker. Andrographolide is higher present in leaf which was range from 1.51-162 than the stem range1.46-153 and root range 1.45-1.150, while Ferulic acid was higher present in stem range from 0.91-0.96 than root 0.76-0.82 but absent in leaf. Heavy metals i.e Pb, Cd, As, & Hg were tested and found under WHO limits Established parameters can be used as standards for quality control and identification of the plant in herbal compound formulations and also preparation of a monograph of the plant.