Comparative organoleptic and physicochemical study of roots of Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br. and Decalepis hamiltonii Wight and Arn

Abstract

Background: Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br. (Sariva), commonly known as Anantmool, is used in therapeutics in Ayurveda with its unique attributes. From few decades due to the heavy demand and extreme commercial collection from natural habitat of this plant, its natural population has decreased with higher rate and has resulted in the extinction of population. In various Ayurvedic raw drug market and in the leading Ayurvedic pharmacies, the roots of Decalepis hamiltonii, which is considered as Sariva Bheda, are used in place of the roots of H. indicus (Sariva) in Ayurvedic formulations. Though H. indicus is cultivated by special method, still it is a very time-consuming and expensive process. D. hamiltonii is easily cultivated with high yield and is less expensive as compared to H. indicus. Aim: In view of these facts, this study was undertaken to compare physicochemical analysis of H. indicus and D. hamiltonii.Materials and Methods: Field samples of H. indicus and D. hamiltonii were collected, identified, authenticated, and studied for vegetative, pharmacognostic, organoleptic, and physicochemical characters. Observation and Results: The root of H. indicus and D. hamiltonii are easily identified by their organoleptic characters. The physicochemical parameters such as loss on drying, total ash, acid-insoluble ash, alcohol-soluble extractives, and water-soluble extractive showed some differences. Conclusion: The external morphological characters of both collected field samples are clearly distinguished and identified as H. indicus (L.) R. Br. and D. hamiltonii Wight and Arn, and they also differ on the physicochemical parameters.