pharmacognostic study of nerium odorum soland used as miswak

Anatomy, macro- and microscopic study powdered drug and chemical tests of powdered drug of Nerium odorum Soland used as a Miswak were carried out. The N. odorum wood shows small size vessels to moderate size, parenchyma, fibers and pith with intercellular spaces and ray cells abundantly found. Powdered miswak is soluble in sulphuric acid while insoluble in other chemicals and its powder did not retain its actual colour when mixed in various chemicals. Powdered drug shows fragments of fibers, parenchyma and uniseriate ray cells

Pharmacognostic studies of acacia modesta wall. used as miswak

Wood anatomy, macro and microscopic study and some chemical tests of one of the local plant Acacia modesta Wall. Collected from Rawapindi were carried out. The bark shows cork cells, cork cambium and a band of fiber cells. Stone cells and cortical parenchymal were also present. Wood consists of cambium of meristematic cells, vessels, parenchyma, fibers and rays. The microscopic study of the miswak reveals the same tissues but many tissues are in fragmented form. Powdered drug is insoluble in hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, benzene and water which is partly soluble in sulphuric acid but it did not retain its actual colour i.e. black and brown and shows various colours when observed under UV [254] nm, on filter paper and in mixtures themselves. The wood is strong and hard but tree yields pale yellowish gum and is employed in medicine. The tender twigs are still used in South Asia for cleaning teeth. As the tree is also used for afforestation, it must be protected so that this miswak should be exploited for commercial purposes

Effect of various doses of urea, superphosphate and farmyard manure on the alkaloidal contents of leaves of solanum aviculare forst

In an investigation conducted to study the effect of different doses viz. 1gm/pot, 1.5gm/pot and 2gm/pot each of urea, superphosphate and farmyard manure on the production of crude alkaloids and moisture contents in 2 and 5-week old leaves of Solanum aviculare Forst. Urea 2gm dose was found to perform the best. Two week old leaves yielded 2.920% and 5 week old leaves produced 1.420% of crude alkeloidal contents. It was observed that alkaloid production capacity in leaves diminishes with age by 0.5%. The dry weight of leaves decreased by increasing the dose of each fertilizer. The maximum dry weight of 7.9, 6.4 and 7.3 gms were observed at 1gm/pot treatment of each fertilizer respectively. On the contrary the moisture contents increased by increasing fertilizer dose

Germination and growth behaviour of trigonella foenum-graecum Linn, under different conditions of soil and light

The aim of the investigation was to study the germination and growth behaviour of Trigonella foenum-graecum Linn., under different light and soil conditions. Three different conditions affected the germination and growth of the plant. Large number of seeds were germinated in organic soil in all the three conditions of light. Growth behaviour of species revealed that organic soil in the best for growth under full and partial light, while in shade the plants did not survive and died soon after the germination. The dry and fresh weight of the plants in full light were more than the plants in partial light, while the plants were small and stoutly branched, leaves were dark green, less in length and breadth in full light than the plants growing in partial light conditions. The number of pods and seeds were more in full light than other light conditions