A PHARMACOGNOSTIC EVALUATION ON MOORVA BHEDA (DREGEA VOLUBILIS (L.F.) BENTH. EX HOOK.F.

Herbal medicines are traditionally used for treatment of various illnesses. Hence, medicinal plants have been receiving great attention worldwide by the researchers because of their safe utility. The plant Dregea volubilis (syn. Wattakaka volubilis, Marsdenia volubilis) is considered as a source plant of the Ayurvedic drug Moorva, is a climbing shrub of the family Apocynaceae. Traditionally, the plant is useful in different conditions such as pain, cold, boils, abscesses etc. In different states of India it is used by folks as a successful remedy in eye diseases. The study comprises includes macroscopy and microscopic of leaf, petiole, stem and root of D. volubilis and powder microscopy of leaf powder. This helps in correct botanical identification and characterization of the drug Dregea volubilis. Study reveals, in leaf numerous prismatic, rosettes and cluster crystals, lower epidermis had two types of stomata (paracytic and anomocytic), but stomata was absent in upper epidermis. Stem contain patches of non lignified fibers in cortex and presence of rosettes and cluster crystals, where as root had bands of stones cells in the cortex.