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Pharmacognostical and Preliminary

Phytochemical Studies on Moringa olifera Leaves
Ashish Vaishnav*, Anish Chandy, Deenanath Jhade and Sudhish Rai
School of Pharmacy, Chouksey Engg. College, Bilaspur, CG, India

ABSTRACT:
Moringa oleifera is commonly known as drumstick. Traditionally it is uses as an antitumor, asthma, antibiotic, analgesic and free
radical scavenging agents. There was no report on leaf part of plant and hence the present investigation deals with anatomical,
microscopical, powder microscopy, determination of leaf constant, phytochemical parameters and extractive values. Phytochemical
studies showed the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, fixed oil, flavonoids, proteins and steroids.

KEYWORDS: Moringa oleifera, pharmacognostical, powder microscopy, phytochemical.

INTRODUCTION:
The height of Moringa oleifera tree is upto 30 feets, bark is grayish in colour, thin and smooth. It posses flowers, color is creamy
white about one inch in diameter. Commonly leaves are green in colour, characteristically leaves are compound tripinnate, 10-25 inch
long with many small leaflets. Blooming time is between Aprils to September.1 India is the largest producer of Moringa oleifera,
where it is grown mainly in semi-arid, tropical and subtropical areas.2,3 It is also known as Shajoma and Mungna.in hindi.4

Ben oil 36%, palmitic, stearic, myristic, oleic, phytosterin, nitrile glycoside that is niaziridin and niazirine in leaves, pods and bark of
Moringa oleifera is reported. Root bark contains alkaloids, moringine which is similar to benzylamine, and moringinine; traces of
essential oil, phytosterol, waxes and resins. Also contains a rich combination of zeatin, quercetin, beta-sitosterol, caffeoylquinic acid,
pterygospermin and kaemferol.5-8

Oil present in Moringa olifera, known as ben oil, extracted from flowers can be used as illuminant, ointment base, and absorbent in
the enfleurage process of extracting volatile oils from flowers. The oil, applied locally, has also been helpful for arthritic pains,
rheumatic and gouty joints.9. A high-performance liquid chromatography method for the microscale determination of α- and γ-
tocopherol in leaves, flowers and fresh beans from Moringa oleifera is reported.10

MATERIAL AND METHOD:

Collection and authentification of plant material
The fresh leaves of Moringa oleifera plant is collected from the area of Pushpanjali Nagar, Bilaspur and authenticated by NADRI,
Bangalore. The leaves were dried, then powdered and stored in airtight containers for further use. Fresh plants were used for
macroscopical and microscopical studies.

The plant parts were fixed in FAA (Formalin-Acetic acid) and dehydrated with graded series tertiary butyl alcohol.11 The sections
were stain with toludine as per the method.12 Determination of leaf constant, physicochemical parameter and qualitative analysis of
Moringa oleifera leaves were followed according to standard procedure.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION:

Morphology:
Leaf sample was subjected to macroscopical identification based on colour, odour, taste, form, size and fracture of the drug.

ig 1 Transverse section of leaf

[LR-Laminar region, PC- Palisade cell,CC -Cholenchyma cell E- Upper Epidermis,
VB- Vascular bundle,LE- Lower epidermis]

Fig 2 Anatomy of the Fig 3 Anatomy of the

stomata Spiral Xylem Vessel

Organoleptic evaluation:
The color of leaf is green when it was fresh, grayish downy when young, size was 10 – 25 inches long, with many small leaflets,
leaflet 1.2-2 cm long and 0.5-1 cm wide, shape was thrice pinnate compound, odour and taste was not distinct, leaflets was elliptic or

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obviate.

Fig 4 Anatomy of the Fig 5 Anatomy of the

fibre Xylem Vessel

Surface appearance and texture was smooth and glabrous, shape of lamina was crescent shaped having vascular bundles in the leaf,
margin was entire, composition of lamina is compound, apex was abtuse and base was rounded or narrowed.

Microscopy:
Microscopic Rachis - Rachis shows single layered epidermis, followed by single layer of pigmented collenchymatous hypodermis;
cortex consisting of 5-10 layered, oval to elliptical, thin walled, parenchymatous cells; pericycle forming a broken ring, consisting of
pericyclic fibres; vascular bundle collateral; pith composed of wide zone of thin-walled, parenchymatous cells; rosette crystals of
calcium oxalate present in cortex, pith and phloem parenchyma. Leaflet - Leaflet shows dorsiventral structure; epidermis and
unicellular hairs present on both the surfaces; palisade single layered; spongy parenchyma 2-3 layers; central region occupied by a
crescent-shaped, collateral vascular bundle surrounded by 2-4 layers of collenchymatous cells; rosette crystals of calcium oxalate
present in mesophyll and collenchymatous cells; stomata anornocytic, present on both surface but more on lower surface; Powder -
Grayish-green; shows groups of spongy parenchyma, palisade cells; spiral vessels, unicellular hairs with blunt tip; pieces of
polyhedral epidermal cells in surface view, stomata and rosette crystals of calcium oxalate.

Powder microscopy:
The leaf powder of Moringa oleifera is dark green in color; odour is odourless, taste is tasteless. Spiral xylem vessels were well
developed wide vessels with reticulate thickening, Parenchyma was thick walled isodiametric cell with intercellular spaces,Colorless
fibers in bundles of about 5-10 and fragment of xylem vessels is very wide and shows a few bordered pits.

Table No. 1: Phytochemical Analysis of Moringa oleifera

S. No. Test Petroleum Benzene Chloroform Methanol Aqueous
Ether extract extract Extract Extract Extract
1. Carbohydrate
Molisch Test +ve +ve +ve +ve +ve
Benedict Test -ve +ve +ve +ve +ve
2. Alkaloids
Draggandroff Test +ve +ve +ve
Mayers Test +ve +ve -ve
Hagers Test +ve +ve +ve
Wagner’s Test +ve +ve -ve
3. Saponins
Foam Test -ve -ve -ve -ve -ve
4. Glycosides
Borntrager Test -ve +ve +ve +ve -ve
Legal’s Test +ve +ve +ve +ve +ve
5. Steroids (Phytosterol)
Salkowski Test +ve -ve -ve -ve -ve
Libbermann +ve -ve -ve -ve -ve
Burchard Test
6. Fixed Oils and Fats
Stain Test +ve +ve +ve +ve +ve
7. Phenol
Ferric Chloride Test -ve -ve -ve -ve -ve
8. Tannins
Gelatin Test -ve +ve +ve +ve +ve
9. Flavanoids
Alkaline reagent Test +ve +ve +ve +ve +ve
Lead Acetate test +ve +ve +ve +ve -ve
Shinoda Test -ve +ve -ve -ve +ve
10. Protein and amino
acid
Burette test -ve +ve +ve +ve -ve
Xanthoprotein Test -ve -ve -ve -ve -ve
Ninhydrin Test -ve -ve -ve -ve -ve

Table No. 2: Determination of physicocemical parameters:

Sample Moisture Total Ash Acid insoluble Water Water soluble Alcohol soluble
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Identity Content% % ash % soluble ash Extractive value% Extractive value%

%
Leaves 7 15.83 3.67 10.67 24.40 9.07

Table No. 3: Leaf constants: Determination of stomatal number and stomatal index
Sample Stomatal No. Stomatal Vein islet No. Vein termination No. Palisade
Identity (per mm sq) Index (per mm sq) (per mm sq) ratio
Leaves Upper surface 100-137 10-13-15 5-7 3-5 11.9-17
Lower surface 290-
350

CONCLUSION:
The leaves of Moringa oleifera belonging to family Moringaceae has been studied to compare and give detailed reports on
pharmacognostical, preliminary phytochemical studied on it. This will help correct identification of this plant for future references.

REFERENCES:
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3. National Research Council (2006-10-27). "Moringa
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11. Sass, JE. Elements of botanical micro technique. Mc Graw Hill Book Co,Newyork, 1940; 222.
12. O’Brien, TP, Feder, N, and Mc cull, ME. Polychromatic staining of plant cell walls toludiene BlueO. Protoplasma. 1964;
59:364-373.

Received on 20.04.2011
Accepted on 10.06.2011
© A&V Publication all right reserved
Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 3(6): Nov. - Dec. 2011, 272-274

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