PHYTOPHARMACOGNOSTICAL STUDY OF AERIAL PARTS OF HOUTTUYNIA CORDATA THUNB.

Natural products are becoming increasingly important as alternative medicines and a source of pharmacotherapeutics either directly or as raw materials from which more or less complex chemical structures proven biological activity are isolated. Houttuynia cordata Thunb. is one of the important drugs, which is traditionally used as anti-inflammatory, diuretic, anti-pyretic and detoxicant. In Indo-china, the entire herb is considered cooling, resolvent and emmenagogue. In the present study, the pharmacognostic and phytochemical evaluation of aerial parts of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (F: Saururaceae) was performed as it is helpful for the standardization and authentication of medicinal plants. The microscopical study showed the presence of blunt-ended multicellular trichomes, lignified fibres, spiral xylem vessels, pitted xylem vessels, striated cuticles, fragments of multicellular trichomes with pointed ends, and cluster crystals of calcium oxalate. The phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of carbohydrates, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, phenolics, etc. The results of the TLC and HPTLC study of plant extract showed the presence of the flavonoids like quercitrin in the aerial parts of Houttuynia cordata Thunb.