COMPARATIVE PHARMACOGNOSTICAL EVALUATION OF MARKET SAMPLE OF TALISHADI CHURNA

Background: Talishadi Churna is one of the important herbal formulations of ayurveda. It is apowder preparation made with the ingredients in the formulation composition given below.Talisapatra (Abies spectabilis), Maricha (Piper nigrum Linn.), Sunthi (Zingiber officinale Roxb.),Pippali (Piper longum Linn.), Vamsalochana ((Bambusa arundinacea (Retz.) Willd.), Ela (Elettariacardamomum Linn.), Tvak (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume) and Sarkara (Sachharum officinarumLinn). To ensure the therapeutic efficacy and safety of herbal formulations and to justify their use inhealthcare, standardization of these formulations is a crucial and necessary.Material & Method:Powder microscopy of Talishadi Churna procured from the local market of Vadodara, Gujarat, Indiawas carried out. study was carried out at Pharmacognosy laboratory, Upgraded department ofDravyaguna Vijnan, Government ayurved college, Vadodara. Microscopic slides of Talishadi Churnawere prepared using the required reagent and observed under the microscope. Observation & Result:Powder microscopy of Talishadi Churna shows, presence of profound Fragments of fibres , Scleridsand Epidermis with hypodermal cells beneath suggests that it contains Talisapatra (Abies spectabilis);presence of Sclereids , Pigment layer in surface view, Fragment of spiral vessels, Beaker cells insurface view, Hypodermal parenchyma cell , Prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, Transversely cutbeaker cells and Starch grains, suggests that it contains Maricha (Piper nigrum Linn.); presence ofstone cells, Cork in surface view, Fragment of fibre with reticulated vessel, Cortical parenchymacontaining starch grains and Reticulated vessel with pigment suggests it contains Sunthi (Zingiberofficinale Roxb.); and presence Stone cells, Starch grains and Fragments of thin walled cells suggestsit contains Pippali (Piper longum Linn.); Epidermal cells, Parenchymatous cells of the perisperm withprisms, prisms, Sclerenchyma of testa (surface view and side view), and Starch grains shows presenceof Ela (Elettaria cardamomum Linn.); presence of Phloem fibre, Part of fibre with phloemparenchyma, Sclereids and Starch grains shows presence of Tvak (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume)as its ingredients. But absence of oil globules suggest that exhausted ingredients can be adulteratedwith it. Presence of siliceous crystals suggests that it contains Vamsalochana (Bambusa arundinacea(Retz.) Willd.) but difficult to differentiate with highly adulterated silica.