A STUDY OF VARIOUS MARKET SAMPLES OF SPIKENARD (NARDOSTACHYS JATAMANSI DC.) WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ITS PHARMACOGNOSTIC & PHYTOCHEMICAL ASPECTS.

摘要

Spikenard has been mentioned in Ayurveda since the period of Atharva Veda. It is the rhizome of Nardostachys jatamansi DC. belongs to Family Valerianaceae . Its demand in market increases with about 8.7 % of average growth rate. Spikenard being endangered and included in negative listed drug; the export of its rhizome or other derivatives and extracts obtained from the wild is banned. Again commercial cultivation of Spikenard has not been observed yet. So the farmers and other collectors directly sold it after collecting from forest to the local traders. Mere absence of commercial cultivation, continuous extraction from natural resources by untrained / unskilled persons, high therapeutic demands are being directly or indirectly damaging the plant’s habitat and harvested even before its maturity time. Further these factors responsible to increase market cost, induce the practice of substitution and adulteration with other species. Such types of raw materials are less aromatic or some time devoid of volatile oil and essential chemical constituents and when used as medicine it does not show the desired effects. Therefore a study had been conducted on different market samples of Spikenard; where it was analyzed on basis of Pharmacognostic & Phytochemical parameters in search of a genuine drug.