Pharmacognostical analysis of leaf and stem of Ipomoea carnea (L.) Jacq (Convolvulaceae) grown in India

The medicinal activity of Ipomoea carnea exists in the leaf and stem of the plant. Lack of substantial information on pharmacognostical aspects both macro and microscopical features of Ipomoea carnea, this work aimed to investigate the pharmacognostic features of stem and leaf. Various morphological characters were studied the leaf was observed to 12-23 c.m. long heart shaped, green, odourless, entire margin, symmetric base, reticulate pinnate venation and hairy surface on both sides. The stem of the plant was observed to be cylindrical in shape, 0.5-0.9 c.m. in diameter, green, odourless and hairy surface. The leaf has paracytic stomata, multicellular glandular trichomes along the leaf margins and vascular bundles on the dorsal side. The stem revealed wide cortex, pith, medullary rays etc. The main features for identification are stomata, trichomes, medullary rays and vascular bundles. The histochemical analysis revealed the presence of lignin, calcium oxalate, resin cell in leaves and starch grains, lignin, calcium oxalate resin cells in stem. The powder microscopy of leaf and stem exhibited the presence of fragments of epidermal cells, trichomes (leaf) resin cells, schizogenous cells, palisade cells (leaf), wood parenchyma and medullary rays (stem), calcium oxalate crystals, xylem vessels (stem), stomata (leaf) and starch grains (stem).