A STUDY OF VARIOUS MARKET SAMPLES OF PICRORHIZA/ HELLEBORE (Picrorhiza kurroa Royle Ex Benth) WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ITS PHARMACOGNOSTIC & PHYTOCHEMICAL ASPECTS

Picrorhiza / Hellebore is a well known herb in Ayurvedic system of medicine mentioned by Charaka Samhita and Vagbhatta in the name of Katuka, Katurohini, Katwi, Tikta, Tiktarohini etc. Rhizomes with root are useful parts in medicine. Botanical source is Picrorhiza Kurroa Royle Ex Benth & belongs to family Scrophulariaceae. Rhizomes are bitter, acrid, cooling, laxative, carminative, antiinflammatory and hence useful in constipation, gastric disorders, flatulence, hiccough, fever, inflammation, diseases of spleen and liver including jaundice, anemia, hemorrhoids etc. Its demand in market increases with about 2.9% of average growth rate. However Picrorhiza has included under negative listed drugs. Therefore its export of plant parts, other derivatives and extracts as such is prohibited. But its prepared formulation can be exported. Market supply is less according to demand so it is substituted and adulterated with many other species. These substitutes and adulterants have very less potency. Practice of such medicine never shows the efficacy and causes failure in health care system. Therefore a study has been conducted by procuring different market samples of Picrorhiza. Then these were analyzed on basis of Pharmacognostic & Phytochemical parameters. The reported data also compared with standard parameters of Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia.