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OP-39

Standard Pharmacognostic Characteristic of Some Thai Herbal Medicine

Somporn Putiyanan, Sunee Chansakaow, Ampai Phrutivorapongkul, Wannaree Charoensup

Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.

Rationale: The quality of medicinal plants significantly influences the development of drugs or health products for
efficacy and efficiency to use. One factor that affects their quality is the variation of their active constituents which
occurs in a variety of plant species, age, environment, non-standardized production process and the problems from
adulteration as well as contamination. Standardization for quality control of both raw materials and finished products is
believed not only to solve this poor quality problem but also to promote value of locally-natural resources, writing of Thai
Herbal Pharmacopoeia, public confidence to use medicinal plant products, international trade forum and being the
member of natural drug lists which corresponds to the public healthûs policy.
Objective: To collect taxonomic identification to prepare the authentic herbarium specimens of standard herbal
medicine.and investigate macroscopic, microscopic characters and chemical constituent of herbabal medicine for phar-
macognostic characters.
Method: Medicinal plant; Kaempferia parviflora Wall. ex Baker (Kra-chai-dahm), Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thumb.)
Makino. (Jiau-gu-lahn), Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni M. (Yaa-waan) and Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl. (Raang-chuet); from 15
sources, the specimens were collected and vouchers deposited at the Faculty of Pharmacy Herbarium, Chiang Mai
University. The samples also were prepared and identified in taxonomic and pharmacognostic aspects according to
ICBN standards. The organoleptic (physical) method (hands, ears, eyes, nose, and tongue) was used to investigate
external and internal characters including shape, texture, fracture, marking, color, odor and taste of various medicinal
plant parts. Microscopic identification was done by investigating powdered specimens through a microscope to identify
tissue or cell types and characteristics and chemical constituents. Plant parts being considered are such as roots and
leaves. The constituents of medicinal plants have also been studied. These plant constituents are synthesized in the
tissues/cells of medicinal plants. The major chemical constituents are starch grains, crystals, oil globules and aleurone.
The amorphous constituents are alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, resins and steroids.
Result: The pharmacognostic characteristics of four popular medicinal herbs : Kaempferia parviflora Wall. ex
Baker (Kra-chai-dahm), Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thumb.) Makino. (Jiau-gu-lahn), Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni M. (Yaa-
waan) and Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl. (Raang-chuet) have been standardized on part used for each plant. The result
showed that they had significant differences in plant taxonomy, pharmacognostic characters and chemical constituents.
The characteristics of medicinal herb comprise of botanical name, family name, part used, chemical constituent, medi-
cal use, character of powdered drug, microscopic character of powdered drug and primary test of plant extract which
are useful to standardize and investigate contamination and adulteration.
Conclusion: The standard of morphological and microscopical characters, main chemical constituents were ob-
tained from each plant, for example, carbohydrate from Yaa-waan leaves, terpenes from Jaew-ku-laan leaves, sterols
from Raang-chuet leaves and phenolic, terpene and anthocyanin groups from Kra-chai-dam. Also habit, habitat, medici-
nal plant geography and biodiversity of these plants have been subjected to standardization by governmental organiza-
tion concerned. Finally, this research results will be a guidance for medicinal plant quality control in the way of
international standard so that confidence in medicinal plant products will occur and raise the number of national drug
lists some day.