DIFFERENTIATION OF TWO ALLIED PINK CASSIA SPECIES BASED ON PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND CHEMOTAXONOMIC STUDIES

Dr. Urmila C. Kumavat* and Dr. Bindu Gopalkrishnan

Cassia javanica Linn. and Cassia nodosa Buch.-Ham. ex Roxb. are popular garden plants from family Fabaceae (Leguminosae). Apart from ornamental use, these plants yield commercially important wood and seed gum. Both plants are less explored for therapeutic potential and recently leaves of them are proved to be antidiabetic. Morphologically C. javanica and C. nodosa are very much similar. In addition to this, being ornamental plants, the taxonomic data of these plants is insufficient for correct identification. In order to find out quick simple identification character/s, elaborate study involving various pharmacognostic characters was done. Firstly, Macroscopical and microscopical studies were done using leaves and leaflets. In second step, dried leaflet powders were subjected to physicochemical and preliminary phytochemical analysis. Further crude leaf extracts were investigated with thin layer chromatography (TLC) and quantitative phytochemical evaluation. It was found that, the said plants resemble in many external and internal characteristics but the distinct results were obtained in physicochemical, quantitative phytochemical and TLC analyses. This study indicated that a simple TLC analyses of anthraquinone glycosides and saponins along with physicochemical constants and relatively different phytochemical contents can be used as reliable identification keys.