PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON THE LEAF EXTRACTS OF Bauhinia tomentosa Linn

Bauhinia tomentosa Linn., leaves were selected to screen pharmacognostic and phytochemical studies. Plant material was collected from a garden in Thiruvarur district, Tamilnadu, India. Bauhinia tomentosa Linn., is a well-known medicinal plant, which has been valued in ancient systems of medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal infections. The leaf extracts of various solvents were subjected to pharmacognostical and phytochemical analysis. Variable fluorescence nature of the plant was also noted against day and UV light. Leaf extracts contain alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, phenolic compounds, tannins, cardiac glycosides etc., which could be a reason for the plants pharmacological activity. These observations would be of great value in the authentification of this plant in its crude form