Physico-chemical Standardization of Butea Monosperma (Lam.) Kuntze (Palasha): An Ayurvedic Drug

Abstract

The present communication attempts to investigate pharmacognostical and physicochemical analysis and chromatographic profiles of Butea monosperma (Lam.) Kuntze (fabaceae). Flowers are used as drug in many ailments like eye disease, chronic fever, enlargement of spleen, leucorrhoea, epilepsy, leprosy and gout etc. Identification of plants with botanical verifications is essential as adulteration due to misidentification of plant species or parts are common. Standardization of medicinal plant product is the prime need of the current time. The significant popularity of HPTLC in the analytical testing of pharmaceutical, bulk drugs and herbal lends its fame to the attributes. Therefore, HPTLC studies of alcoholic extract of Butea monosperma flowers were also carried out to lay down the fingerprint profile of drug. The study revealed specific identities for Butea monosperma (Lam.) Kuntze, which may play a key role in identification of plant and can be useful in standardization of the herbal drugs.