Pharmacognostical Evaluation of Zanthoxylum nitidum Bark

Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC (Rutaceae), called Tez-mui in Assamese, is a large prickly shrub, and its stem bark is ethnomedicinally prescribed in North-East India for treatment of various disease conditions like toothache, gingivitis, fever, colic vomiting, diarrhoea and cholera. Scientific parameters are not yet available to identify the exact plant material and to ascertain its quality and purity. The present investigation was therefore undertaken to determine the requisite pharmacognostical standards for evaluating the plant material. Various investigations like organoleptic or morphological characters, microscopic or anatomical studies, physico-chemical evaluations (loss on drying, ash values, extractive values), phytochemical screening, TLC finger print profiling and fluorescence analysis of powdered crude drug were carried out and the salient qualitative and quantitative parameters were reported. These studies provided referential information for correct identification and standardization of this plant material. These information will also be helpful to differentiate Z. nitidum from the closely related other species of Zanthoxylum.