TAXONOMIC, PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL AUTHENTICATION OF COLCHICUM LUTEUM BAKER (SURANJANTALKH)

FROM ITS COMMERCIAL ADULTERANT

 

SIDRA NISAR AHMED¹, MUSHTAQ AHMAD^1*, ZABTA KHAN SHINWARI² AND SHELA SHINWARI¹

 

¹Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan

²Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan

^*Corresponding author’s e-mail: mushtaqflora@hotmail.com

 

Abstract

 

The main objective of current study is to elucidate taxonomic, pharmacognostic and physicochemical behavior of Colchicum luteum (Suranjantalkh) for its proper identification and authentication from its cheap and tasteless adulterant. Colchicum luteum is one of the most rare and hence expensive medicinal plants. It is an active part of many unani formulations due to presence of an alkaloid colchicine which is claimed to be effective in arthritis, gout, rheumatism and internal injuries. In order to overcome demand of its corm, suppliers and herb sellers adultered bulbs of a monocotyledon plant Narcissus tazetta. This type of study reveals to be helpful in differentiating plants on basis of leaf epidermal anatomy, palynology, phamacognosy and physicochemical values. It is an important step in field of herbal medicine to provide pure and original medicinal plants to yield their maximum effectiveness.

 

Key words: Colchicum luteum, Authentication, Physicochemical, Standardization, Taxonomy.