Pharmacognostic studies of ampelocissus latifolia (roxb.) Planch – an important ethnomedicinal plant

The evaluation of quality and purity of crude drugs by means of various parameters is the most important aspects of pharmacognosy. The present study deals with different pharmacognostic parameters of Ampelocissus latifolia (Roxb.) Planch, an ethnomedicinally important plant of the family Vitaceae. The common name of the plant is ‘Jungli angur’. Juice of tender leaves used in dental problems and as a detergent for indolent ulcers. The plant bears hypostomatic leaves and stomata are mainly anomocytic with few anisocytic types. Palisade ratio is 4 and stomatal index is 9. Needle shaped Ca-oxalate crystals are present on both epidermal surfaces of the leaf. In the methanolic extract of the leaf, the detected phytochemical groups are alkaloids, reducing sugars, gums, tannins and anthraquinones, etc. Ash value and moisture content of the leaf are 31.23% and 77.09 % respectively. The drug powder treated with different chemical reagents gives characteristic colourations when seen under UV light. This plant seems to be very potent against different popular bacteria. This study will throw new data regarding the uses of ethnomedicine to the state as well as national level inventory of ethnomedicine.