Pharmacognostic Evaluation and Physicochemical Analysis of Paullinia pinnata L. (Sapindaceae)

The current resurgence of public interest in herbal medicines calls for heightened studies on their quality and safety. The major setback in promoting the use of these herbal medicines is the lack of standardization and the confusion in the identification and authentication of these plants and their substitutes or adulterants. In this study, the pharmacognostic and physicochemical features of the leaves, stem bark and roots of Paullinia pinnata, an African shrub used traditionally for wound healing, treatment of dysentery and also as an aphrodisiac, was evaluated. The study included macroscopy, microscopy, physicochemical and phytochemical screening. Physicochemical parameters evaluated varied widely among the various parts studied which could be used in their identification. The study also revealed the presence of acicular calcium oxalate crystals, anomocytic stomata, wavy anticlinal walled epidermal cells and unicellular and multicelluar uniserate clothing trichomes in the leaves. Morphological, anatomical and physicochemical studies of P. pinnata provides simple and reliable standards which could be useful for the proper identification of P. pinnata.