Phyto-Pharmacognostical Standardization of Three Morpho-Variants of Cissus quadrangularis L.

Background: Cissus quadrangularis is a perennial climber belonging to the Vitaceae family. The plant is characterized by its succulent stems, which are square in cross-section, hence the specific epithet "quadrangularis." It is used exhaustively in treating osteoporosis and healing bone injury/ fracture due to its rich calcium, phosphorous and phytoestrogen content. The morphological variants C. quadrangularis viz. quadrangular, flat and round stemmed varieties are reported and used for the same purpose. Objectives: The current study aims to establish a comparative assessment of the morpho-anatomical and phytochemical characteristics of C. quadrangularis stem variants, specifically the round, flat and quadrangular varieties. Materials and Methods: The present study involved a comparative macroscopic and microscopic characterization, preliminary phytochemical screening and Chromatographic evaluation (HPTLC) of the stem samples of variants of C. quadrangularis. Results: The present study revealed a lot of similarities in anatomical characteristics, physicochemical parameters, phytochemical analyses and chromatographic observations. Conclusion: Phyto-pharmacognostic standards were established for three morpho-variants of C. quadrangularis.