Sumeet Dwivedi

Guizotia abyssinica (L.f.) Cass., Syn. G. oleifera D.C., Polymnia abyssinica L.f., Suppl., Verbesina sativa Roxb., Jaegeria abyssinica Spr., commonly known as Ramtil in Hindi and Niger in English belongs to family Asteraceae (Compositae)  is native of Abyssinica (South Africa). The plant is used in the treatment of various diseases such as arthritis, microbial infections and seed oil serve as contraceptives. The leaves of Guizotia abyssinica (L.f.) Cass. (Asteraceae) are popular in Indian traditional medicine and as such provides good to develop herbal drug preparation to be used as phytomedicine. International criteria for validation and standardization of an herbal material as phytomedicine include microscopy and histological examination of raw material to guarantee its authenticity. The fresh leaves were taken to study the histology of the species. The thin section was made and treated with saffranine, chloral hydrate and iodine solution, mounted with glycerine and observed under microscope. Similarly, the dried leaves was made in to powder and was taken in glass slide, stained and mounted with glycerine, observed under microscope to reveal the powder character. The anatomical study revealed the presence of multicellular trichomes, stomata, chloroplast, conjoint and collateral vascular bundle, while powder microscopy revealed the presence of xylem vessels, parenchyma, calcium oxalate crystals etc. Thus, the present paper aims at setting the anatomical standards to establish quality control parameter for the raw material. The data obtained in present study will serve as valuable tool for identification, authentication and detection of adulterants, standardization and quality control of the plant Guizotia abyssinica (L.f.) Cass.

  The present research has been undertaken with the aim to formulate and evaluate the herbal gel containing A. lebbeck Linn. bark extract. The gel formulation was designed by using aqueous, ethanolic and petroleum ether extracts in varied concentrations along with different polymer. The physiochemical parameters of formulations (pH, viscosity, spreadability etc.) were determined. The results showed that formulation containing 2.5 gm of ethanolic extract of Albezia lebbeck bark have promising effect than other formulations.

  Two simple and sensitive visible spectrophotometric methods (A and B) have been developed for the quantitative estimation of Pioglitazone, in bulk drug and pharmaceutical dosage forms. Methods were based on the formation of Pale yellow coloured and green coloured chromo gens, which were measured 267 nm and 297 nm, respectively. The results obtained with the proposed methods are in good agreement with the labeled amounts when tablet dosage forms were analyzed.  For the first method, UV-spectrophotometry, standard solutions were measured at 267 nm. The first method was linear from 2.5-20 mg/mL. The second method was based on the formation of an ion association complex with Methyl orange (MO) and Bromocresol Green (BCG).The assay was found to be linear over the concentration range of 2.5-20 µg/mL. The wavelengths were selected dependent on the maximum obtained values. The formation of ion- pairs are formed between secondary amino group of PIO and MO, BCG reagents via the protonated nitrogen atom. The proposed methods were validated according to the ICH guidelines (1996) with respect to specificity, linearity, accuracy, precise and robustness. The results demonstrated that the procedure is accurate, precise, specific and reproducible (percent relative standard deviation