PHARMACOGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF SETARIA ITALICA L. CARYOPSIS – A NUTRITIONAL AND THERAPEUTIC MILLET IN AYURVEDA

Setaria italica L. is one of the world’s oldest crops, which has been cultivated and domesticated about 8000 years ago. It is known for its ecological, nutritional and medicinal properties. In Ayurveda, it is called kangu/priyangu and is believed to nourish the body tissues and absorb excessive fluids besides, widely used in the treatment of various disorders. Since, no reports are available on microscopical and phytochemical studies of the caryopsis of Setaria italica L., hence, the present study was undertaken to investigate the same. Pharmacognostic and preliminary phytochemical study of the caryopsis of Setaria italica L. were carried out using microscopy, physicochemical analysis and TLC. The microscopy shows the presence of tube cells and cross cells, starch grains devoid of hilum, and occurring singly or in aggregates, tangentially elongated cells of pericarp, and endospermic cells filled with aleurone grains. The physicochemical analysis shows 8.33% w/w LOD, 3.10% w/w, Ash value and 7.83pH.TLC did not show any colour at UV 254 and 366 nm however, three brownish colour bands of Rf values (0.4, 0.44, and 0.47) are found in derivatised with Vanillin-Sulphuric acid. The result obtained from pharmacognostic studies and chemical fingerprints could be used as standardization data of the caryopsis of Setaria italica L., to apply or provide for guarantee of its quality.