Pharmacognostical Standardisation of Root, Stem, Leaf and Fruit of Bhoomyamalaki (Phyllanthus amarus Schumach & Thonn.)

Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. & Thonn. (Bhoomyamalaki) is a well-known Ayurvedic plant widely used for liver diseases, metabolic problems, and infections. Although the whole plant is medicinally important, scientific descriptions of its individual parts are limited. This study was carried out to record basic pharmacognostic features of the root, stem, leaf, and fruit to help identify the raw drug correctly and ensure purity. Fresh plant material was collected and examined for external and internal characters. Colour, surface features, taste, and smell were first noted. Transverse sections were taken to observe important structures such as epidermis, vascular tissue, crystals, stomata, and other characteristic cells. The root was found to be straight, cylindrical, brownish, and attached with many fine branches. The stem was thin, erect, smooth, and branched. Leaves were simple, arranged alternately in two neat rows on branchlets, and had oblong or elliptic shapes with rounded tips. Fruits were small, smooth, round capsules that appeared green and trilocular. The microscopic examination of root showed starch grains and crystals mainly in the cortex and phloem. The stem contained rosette-shaped calcium oxalate crystals, especially in the pith region. Numerous anisocytic stomata were seen on the lower surface of the leaf. The fruit section showed a circular capsule with three ridges and wedge-shaped seeds inside each locule. Powder microscopy also revealed identifiable fragments useful for detecting adulteration. The observations from this study offer reliable features that can be used for authentication, quality control, and standardization of Bhoomyamalaki in Ayurvedic practice and research.