Quality assurance and authentication of herbal drug (Argyrolobium roseumandViola stocksii) through comparative light and scanning electron microscopy

Abstract

The quality assurance and authentication of crude herbal drugs play important role in the effective therapeutic effect of herbal drug and their products. There are many reported problems in quality assurance of herbal crude drugs concerning to their correct identification. The present study was designed with the aim to document the authentication and quality assurance of the herbal crude drugs (Argyrolobium roseumandViola stocksii) thorough light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The detailed foliar anatomical studies showed polygonal epidermal cells having anticlinal walls inArgyrolobium roseumwhile rounded epidermal cells were observed inViola stocksii. The anomocytic stomata type was observed inArgrolobium roseumwhile actinocytic was noticed inViola stocksii. The pollen of studied species appeared as tricolporate showing reticulate exine sculpturing inArgrolobium roseumwhile fine perforations were recorded inViola stocksii. Furthermore, quantitative analysis of phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity showed high flavonoid and phenol content inArgyrolobium roseum ascompared withViola stocksii. It was observed thatArgyrolobium roseumwas discriminated from theViola stocksiibased on the leaf and pollen micromorphological traits by using LM and SEM techniques. It was concluded that LM and SEM techniques were found useful for the quality assurance of botanicals and their authentication.