Pharmacognostic and Phytochemical Studies of Stellaria media Linn

Aim: Stellaria media Linn. (Caryophyllaceae) has been traditionally used for a variety of ailments such as inflammation, asthma, blood diseases and in the treatment of mental tension. In the present investigation, various pharmacognostic standards of the plant have been generated so that authentic S. media could be explored for its traditional claims. Materials and Methods: Various parameters like macroscopic and microscopic characters of the leaves and stem of S. media were studied along with physico-chemical and phytochemical analysis. Results: The macroscopic studies revealed that the stem is weak, branched, pale green and slightly swollen at the joints; leaves are oval shaped, smooth and are arranged on the stem in pairs. Microscopically, leaf showed the presence of epidermis, palisade cells, trichomes and vascular bundles; stem revealed the presence of epidermis, hypodermis, cortex, vascular bundles and pith. Total ash, acid insoluble ash, ethanol soluble extractive and water soluble extractive values were 11.24, 2.04, 6.3, 37.7 % w/w respectively. Conclusion: Since standardization of herbal medicines is essential for ensuring reproducible therapeutic action, data evolved in this investigation could be used in laying down pharmacopoeial standards for the drug studied.