Pharmacognostical and phytochemical investigation ofButea frondosa Linn. bark

Butea frondosa,is an important medicinal plant. The bark is reported to possess astringent, bitter, pungent, alternative, aphrodisiac and anthelmintic properties. It is useful in tumour, bleeding piles and ulcer.The roots are useful in elephantiasis and in curing night blindness and other defects of sight. The root bark is used as an aphrodisiac and as analgesic and anthelmintic. The flowers are reported to possess astringent, diuretic, depuretive, aphrodisiac and tonic properties; they are used as an emmenagogue and as poultice in orchitis and to reduce swellings, for bruises and sprains. They are also effective in leprosy, leucorrhoea and gout. Seeds are reported to possess aperient and rubefacient properties. The important parameters studied are macro and microscopical character, measurement of fiber length & diameter starch grain, histochemical studies, ash analysis, inorganic element, total extractive values, moisture content, behavior of powder with different chemical reagent & fluorescence analysis. In the present paper an attempt has been made to find out, botanical, physico-chemical and preliminary phytochemical characteristics of Butea frondosa bark.