Pharmacognostical Evaluation of Zanthoxylum nitidum Root

Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC (Rutaceae), is a large shrub, and its root is used traditionally in North-East India for toothache, stomachache, fever, rheumatism, paresis, boils and as an insecticide and pesticide. Present study has been undertaken to determine the necessary pharmacognostical standards for evaluating the crude plant material. Various investigations like organoleptic or morphological characters, microscopy, physico-chemical evaluations, phytochemical screening, TLC finger print profiling and fluorescence analysis were carried out and the salient qualitative and quantitative parameters have been reported. These studies provided referential information for identification and quality control of this crude drug.