PRELIMINARY PHARMACOGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF ETHANOL EXTRACT OF LEAF OF OLAX SUBSCORPOIDEA OLIV (OLACACEAE)

Abstract

One of the most common objections leveled against natural products is a lack of standardization, necessitating the exploration of various quality control approaches aimed at proving the safety and quality of crude medications. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of Olax subscorpoidea leaves. The ethanol extract of Olax subscorpoidea leaves was obtained by the maceration process. Chemo-microscopy and physicochemical examination (moisture content, total ash value, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash, extractive values) of the crude drug were performed using established procedures. The presence or absence of starch, mucilage, calcium oxalate, cellulose, and lignin was determined to deduce various microscopic traits with chemical reagents. The crude drugs qualitative phytochemical investigation disclosed the presence of tannins, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, terpenoids, steroids, and cardiac glycosides. Quantitative phytochemical analysis revealed that the plant extract had more alkaloids and saponins than the other phytoconstituents present. Chemomicroscopy of Olax subscorpoidea leaves indicated the presence of starch, mucilage, cellulose, calcium oxalate, and lignin. The physicochemical study of Olax subscorpoidea ethanol leaf extract indicated moisture content (8±0.03%) and total ash content (0.15±0.01%), respectively. The extractive value also revealed that polar solvents are most suited for extracting the crude drug. This study was able to provide useful information that aids pharmacognostic standardization, thereby building a scientific platform to buttress the quality of Olax subscorpoidea powdered leaf and its ethanol extract for ease of formulation and commercialization.