PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND PRILIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF ALPINIA GALANGA WILLD

Alpinia Galanga willd. (Zingiberaceae), commonly called greater galangal, is a rhizomatous herb distributed in various parts of India and throughout Southeast Asia. It is widely cultivated in small garden plots in rather wet ground in Malaysia, India, China, Indonesia and the Philippines. The present study deals with pharmacognostical examination include the morphological, microscopical characters and physical constants of rhizomes of various Alpinia species including determination of loss on drying, ash values and extractive values. The preliminary phytochemical screening of rhizome extracts was also carried out and it is revealed the presence of various phytoconstituents like carbohydrates, flavonoids, protein and amino acids, tannins and saponins. The results of the standardization may throw immense light on the botanical identity of species of Alpinia which may furnish a basis of judging the authenticity of the plant and also to differentiate the drug from its allied species and detect adulterants.