Pharmacognostic evaluation of Bergenia ciliata (Haw.) Sternb

The present study was conducted to investigate the Bergenia ciliata (Haw.) Sternb. (Family: Saxifragaceae) for pharmacognostic study including macroscopical and microscopical observations, leaf surface features, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Fluorescence characters. The macroscopy revealed that rhizome was brown in color, hard in fracture, pleasant in odor and astringent in taste. Leaf was cordate, green in color and indistinct in taste and odour, while microscopy of rhizome and leaf showed typical dicot histological differentiation. Leaf was amphistomatic having anomocytic stomata on both the epidermises. The quantitative leaf study showed that the stomatal numbers of upper and lower epidermises were (20± 0.7) and (24.2 ± 2.7) (average ± SEM), while stomatal index was (15.6 ± 2.6) and (27.4 ± 3.9) respectively. Vein islet and vein termination number was (20.6 ± 4.09 and 26.6 ± 5.01), while palisade ratio remained (12.3 ± 3.71). SEM of the powder showed non-glandular trichomes, spiral vessels, parenchymatous tissues and fragments of epidermis with anomocytic stomata. Fluorescence study indicates different shadows of colors like brown, black, greenish, yellowish, red, brown, dark black, pink etc. that revealed the presence of different fluorescent chemical compounds. The current research was done for the first time on Bergenia and might be beneficial for its accurate identification, standardization and will give a base for its pharmacognistic applications.