HIGH PRESSURE THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY FINGERPRINTING ANALYSIS OF AN AYURVEDIC HERB KASAMARDA MOOLA - CASSIA OCCIDENTALIS (ROOT)

India has an ancient history of the use of plants in the indigenous system of medicine dating back to over 5000 years. It has been estimated that over 8000 plants are used in traditional, folk and herbal medicine, Cassia occidentalis Linn. (Caesalpiniaceae), a perennial plant of southern India, is an Ayurvedic plant which is used in several traditional medicines to cure various diseases. The parts of the plant used are roots, leaves and seeds. Leaves of Cassia occidentalis plant have ethno medicinal importance like paste of leaves is externally applied on healing wounds, sores, itch, cutaneous diseases, bone fracture, ringworm, skin diseases and throat infection. The plant is used for fever, menstrual problems, tuberculosis, diuretic anaemic, liver complaints, and as a tonic for general weakness and illness and is also reported to cure leprosy. An infusion of the plant bark is given by the folklore in diabetes. WHO guidelines emphasise the need for modern and sophisticated modern instrumental method like HPTLC to standardize herbal drugs. HPTLC study was carried out ethanol extract detected at 254 nm. The ethanolic extract of root of Cassia occidentalis Linn. are subjected to HPTLC and developed the fingerprint pattern. HPTLC fingerprinting of Kasamarda moola(Cassia occidentalis root) provides useful information regarding quality control parameters and identifying parameters to substantiate and authenticate the drug and could be used for comparison of market samples to ensure its genuineness It can be concluded that HPTLC fingerprint analysis of Cassia occidentalis Linn. can be used for Standardisation.