Finger Printing of the Anatomical Markers, HPTLC Profile and Heavy Metals Content in the Leaves of Aristolochia indica Linn.

Background: Aristolochia indica Linn is now an endangered medicinal plant belonging to the family Aristolochiaceae. Many ethono-botanically important species of Aristolochia were found used in the traditional forms of medicine for the treatment of various illnesses. Aim: The present study concerns the microscopic, fluorescent, powder, quantitative microscopic characteristics of the leaves of Aristolichia indica Linn and its physico-chemical standards. Materials and Methods: Morpho-histological profile, Highperformance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) finger print profile, and heavy metals content of the leaves of Aristolichia indica Linn. Results: The presence of camptodromous pinnate venation with pentagonal shaped areoles with linear veinlet endings, non-glandular hooked trichomes, amphistomatic and anomocytic stomata, small palisade ratio, small stomatal index were the anatomical features characteristics of the taxon. Physico-chemical evaluation of the leaves gave moisture content of 10.5%, total ash 12.7%, acid insoluble ash 1.9%, acid soluble ash 10.8%. Highperformance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) identification of marker compound (Aristolochic acid I or (AAI)) in methanol extract of leaves was carried out. The developed HPTLC Chromatogram had revealed nine phytoconstutents in extract of leaf sample. The Rf value for Aristolochic acid I (C₁₇H₁₁NO₇) was found to be 0.41 and densitometric scanning had shown λ_max at 318 nm for the marker compound. The content of marker constituent (AA I) present in shade-dried leaves of Aristochia indica Linn was estimated as 0.049%. The Flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of elements had shown appreciable amounts of the elements such as Fe (0.5442 mg/g), Zn (0.026.82 mg/g), Ni (0.008 mg/g,) and Cu (0.002 mg/g) by dry weight of the leaves of Aristolichia indica. Conclusion: The present study suggests that the delineated characteristics of the leaves of A. indica, could tag as the identifying parameters to substantiate and authenticate the raw drugs from the spurious/adulterants materials and could also be effectively used for the regulatory perspectives and quality assessment of Aristololic acid Ι in the medicinal formulation/finished products. The presence of important mineral elements inside this plant showed that it could be a nutritious plant and important to the human health.