PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDIES ON THE BARK AND LEAVES OF BARRINGTONIA ACUTANGULA GAERTN.

Abstract

Barringtonia acutangula Gaertn., (Samudraphal,Indian Oak), an important medicinal plant of India is studied for its phytochemical and pharmacognostic biomarkers in both leaves and  bark.  The leaves contained   flavonols like 3’, 4’-diOMe quercetin,  gossypetin and 3’-OMe gossypetin and quinones while the bark possessed only 8-oxygenated flavonols, gossypetin and 3’-methyl ether and quinones. Gossypetin and its derivatives are the distinct biomarkers here. The pharmacognostic markers of   bark are  two types of rectangular cork cells, rows of square cells containing red deposits and very narrow gelatinous fibres while those of leaves are single layered palisade wherein each cell containing 3-4 chloroplasts, sclereids, absence of indumentum and flask shaped vascular bundle.