Histology and ash analysis of Gentiana Kurroo Royle – an endangered medicinal plant

Gentiana kurroo Royle, a potent temperate Indian bitter drug, is valued as bitter tonic, antiperiodic, expectorant, antibilious, astringent, stomachic, anthelmintic, blood purifier and carminative. Because of high demand and limited supply from natural resource, it is known to be adulterated with the roots of Picrorrhiza kurroa, Gentiana tenella, G decumbens etc. A perusal of literature reveals that no pharmacognostic tool is available for proper diagnosis of crude drugs of karru. Keeping this in view the present study was carried out in the Department of Forest Products, College of Forestry, Dr YS Parmar university of horticulture and forestry, Solan, HP. On macroscopic study, it was observed that after secondary growth, rhizome splits anomalously into four parts at a distance of 2.02+0.435 cm near collar region. Leaf was found to be dorsiventral, stomata anamocytic, and present only on the lower surface. Stomatal index ranged between 24.26 and 25.78 and pallisade ratio was 5.68. Xylem elements in roots were polyarch and radialy arranged. The air dried rhizome after incerneation gave 4.06 per cent of total ash (cremish colour), 2.78 per cent of acid soluble ash and 8.03 per cent of sulphated ash. Calcium content was 0.28 per cent. These paramerters can be used as identification tool for testing the purity of raw material of G kurroo.