Comparative Pharmacognostical Phytochemical and Pharmacological studies on Cardiospermum Species

Abstract

Cardiospermum helicacabum and Cardiospermum canescens are small perennial herbaceous creepers. The aerial parts of these plants were collected from foot hills of Tirumala, Chittor district, AP and authenticated by Botanical survey of India, Coimabatore. Macroscopic studies showed marked different characteristic features in leaf, flower, fruit between Cardiospermum helicacabum and Cardiospermum canescens species. Microscopic studies of leaf and midrib, lamina, epidermis, petiole, petiolule, and stem revealed the presence of more identical anatomical and hitologocal features with distinct arrangement of vascular bundles, schernchymatous tissue, midrib,petiole, petiolule, and stem of both aerial parts of Cardiospermum helicacabum and Cardiospermum canescens plants. Physiochemical parameters like total ash, water soluble ash, acid insoluble ash, and sulphated ash values were determined. The dried powdered aerial parts of the plants were extracted with water and ethanol (1:1) through cold maceration. Extractive values were determined for both aqueous, hydro-alcoholic and methanolic extracts. Preliminary photochemical studies of both plant extracts showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, triterepenoids, sterols, and saponins, which were responsible for the biological and pharmacological activities in the respective plant extracts. Chromatographic studies of plant extracts were carried out using HPTLC analysis with various solvent systems, showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, triterepenoids, sterols, and saponins in both plant extracts. At the outset, it can be concluded that the Cardiospermum canescens can be effectively used as alternate drug source for the treatment in the place of Cardiospermum helicacabum because of its effective anti-oxidant, pharmacological activity and abundant availability in many parts of the tropical areas. newline newline