Description

Michelia champaca L. (Magnoliaceae), an evergreen handsome tall tree, around 30 m high with yellow fragrant blossoms, native of Himalayas, and Southern parts of India, is an Indian medicinal plant which finds mention in several ancient writings and Ayurvedic texts. The plant assumes great significance in view of its rich chemical and pharmacological background; however it cannot be put to good use in the absence of standards. Hence the pharmacognostic studies and preliminary determinations as per specified guidelines on the said plant were undertaken as a tool for standardization and to regularize monograph writing. Such studies provide a basis for correct identification and authentication and to assure the quality of starting material. The present study largely utilizes W.H.O. guidelines for determination of macroscopic characters, microscopic and histochemical detections, leaf constants, physico-chemical constants and allied features. The authenticated plant samples (leaves and stem bark) were successively Soxhlet extracted and the hexane, ethanolic and aqueous fractions were screened by chemical tests, chromatographic procedures and subjected to pharmacological evaluation.