title: Pharmacognostical and preliminary physico-chemical profiles of Blepharispermum subsessile DC. root.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blepharispermum subsessile DC. is a folklore medicinal herb, found in Odisha, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. It is locally known as Rasnajhadi in Odisha and its roots are being used as Rasna in treating rheumatic, gynecological, nervous disorders. In spite of its high medicinal as well as market values, the pharmacognostical characters of its root is not reported till date.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate pharmacognostical and preliminary physico-chemical profiles of B. subsessile root.
  
  
  METHODS
  Roots of B. subsessile were collected from Odisha; its macroscopic, microscopic, powder characters and preliminary physico-chemical characters were studied following standard procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microscopically, outer multilayered lignified cork cells, cortex, border pitted xylem vessels, tracheids, isolated or groups of thick-walled xylem fibees were seen. Physico-chemical parameters showed that water soluble extractive value (31.3%) is more than alcohol soluble extractive value (23.2%) and 5.5 pH value, etc.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of the study will be useful in the identification and standardization of the B. subsessile root.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dravyaguna, Institute for Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Amruta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jadhav
authors.affiliation: Department of Dravyaguna, Institute for Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Rabinarayan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Acharya
authors.affiliation: Pharmacognosy Laboratory, Institute for Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Harisha
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Chemistry Laboratory, Institute for Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Vinay J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.affiliation: Department of Kayachikitsa, Institute for Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Harimohan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chandola
keywords: Asteraceae; Blepharispermum subsessile DC.; Rasna; ethnomedicine; pharmacognosy; root