Rakesh Bansidhar Dubey & Balaji Sopanrao Sawant: J. Pharm. Sci. Innov.

2015; 4(4)

Journal of Pharmaceutical and Scientific Innovation

www.jpsionline.com
Review Article

PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDY OF CASSIA TORA L.: A REVIEW

Rakesh Bansidhar Dubey *, Balaji Sopanrao Sawant
Department of Dravyaguna Vigyan, Smt. K.G.M.P. Ayurveda Mahaviyalaya, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences,
Nashik, Maharashtra, India
*Corresponding Author Email: rakeshbdube@gmail.com

DOI: 10.7897/2277-4572.04446

Received on: 25/06/15 Revised on: 28/07/15 Accepted on: 14/08/15

ABSTRACT

Cassia tora (C. tora) is a small shrub growing as weed in Asian and African countries. It is a known edible leafy vegetable taken up by Asians. It has been
traditionally used in ringworm infection over the years. Leaflets and seeds are the primary parts used for medicinal purposes. Different parts of C. tora have
found application in Indian and Chinese medicine. The medicinal effects are well documented in many publications. The present article is aimed to provide a
broad overview of pharmacognosy, phytochemistry.

Keywords: Cassia tora, Pharmacognosy, Ayurvedic properties, Adulterations & Substitutes, Phytochemistry.

INTRODUCTION
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Herbal medicines and food supplement industry has seen quite
phenomenal growth in the recent years. India has a wealth of flora Kingdom : Plantae
with hundreds of the plants possessing medicinal or curative Divison : Magnoliophyta
properties. Despite this wealth, India has a small share in medicinal Class :Magnoliopsida
plants trade in the world market. This dismal condition is Subclass : Rosidae
attributable to several factors including non-identification of Order : Fabales
bioactive molecules, lack of uniformity in cultivation, processing, Family : Fabaceae/ Leguminosae
storage, transport, extraction and formulation processes. Sub-family: Caesalpinioideae
Genus : Cassia
PLANT PROFILE Species : tora

Cassia tora (C. tora) (sub-family: Caesalpinioideae; Family: BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Leguminosae/Fabaceae) is a small shrub which grows up in warm
moist soil throughout the tropical parts of Asian and African Annual herbs or undershrubs, 1-2m high. Leaves compound,
countries. In Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine books, different paripinnate leaflets 3-pairs, ovate –oblong. Flowers bright yellow,
medical usage is depicted (DESCRIBED) for different parts of C. usually in pairs, axillary. Pods long, slender, obliquely septate, 15-
tora plant. In traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine, its usage 25cm long. Seeds rhombo hedral, green 25-30 in number. The plant
has been described as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, antihepatotoxic, bears flowers in the rainy season & fruits in the winter4.
antidiuretic, antidiarrhoeal and antimutagenic plant1.
DISTRIBUTION
CLASSICAL NAMES
It is found as a weed throughout India ascending up to an altitude of
Chakramarda, Dadrughna, Edagaja, Meshalochana, Prapunnada, 1550m in Himalayas, universally distributed in wild state in
Chakri, Punnata,Padmaka2. Himachal Pradesh, Bihar & Orissa, Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan, on
waste lands along side of Maharashtra, Karnataka & plains of Tamil
VERNACULAR NAMES3 Nadu5.

· English - Foetid Cassia, Ringworm plant PARTS USED

· Hindi – Chakvad,
· Marathi – Takla Leaf, Seed, Roots2.
· Gujarati – Kawario
· Punjabi –Chakunda, Panwar PROPAGATION & CULTIVATION
· Rajashthan –Chakuada, Panwar.
· Bengali - Chakunda, Panevar It can easily be propagated by seeds5.
· Kannada – Taragasi, Gandutogache
TRADITIONAL USES
· Malyalam –Chakramandarakam, Takara
· Tamil – Tagarai, Senavu Both leaves & seeds constitute a valuable remedy in skin diseases.
Seeds steeped in the juice of Euphorbia nerifolia and then made into

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the paste with cow’s urine is an application to cheloid tumors; also Mesophyll
useful in leprosy, psoriasis, etc., ground with sour buttermilk or lime It is differentiated into palisade and spongy tissue.
juice and applied to ease the irritation of itch or skin eruptions. Root Palisade in Cassia tora leaves is present on both sides of spongy
rubbed into paste with lime juice is a specific for ringworm, applied parenchyma and is made up of single layered, elongated, compactly
also for buboes in plague. Leaves are prescribed in decoction in 2 – arranged, thin walled chlorenchymatous cells which continues over
ounce doses for children suffering from feverish attacks while midrib region only in case of upper palisade, lower palisade doesn’t
teething; boiled in castor oil they are applied to foul ulcers; also continue in the midrib region. Spongy parenchyma are loosely
inflammations caused by irritant. They are also used as poultice to arranged, thin walled parenchymatous cells with large intracellular
hasten suppuration. It forms a warm remedy in gout, sciatica and spaces. This region shows presence of spheraphides.
pain in joints. In China, the seeds are used externally & internally Lower epidermis: It is similar to the upper epidermis.
for all sorts of eye diseases. Preparations are also given for liver Both the epidermii show presence of conical, unicellular, thick
complaints and boils6,7. walled, covering trichomes.

AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES Midrib

Midrib region shows presence of palisade parenchyma which is
Rasa : Katu(pungent) single layered. Crystal sheath, present on both dorsal and ventral
Guna : Laghu(lightness) , Ruksha(dryness) side, made up of parenchymatous cells and containing calcium
Veerya : Ushna (Hot) oxalate prisms. A scelrenchymatous sheath is present covering
Vipaka : Katu(pungent) vascular bundle. The vascular bundle shows xylem towards the
Doshaghnata : Kapha –vatashamaka(subsides kapha – vaata)3. upper epidermis and phloem towards the lower epidermis. Towards
the lower epidermis, midrib also shows presence of multi-layered,
ROGAGHANATA (Therapeutic uses) thick walled parenchyma cells containing cellulose.
Surface preparation of the leaves also showed presence of paracytic
Twakvikara (skin disorders), Dadru (ringworm), Vibandha stomata.
(constipation), Gulma (tumor like growth), Krimi (worms), Arsha
(haemorrhoids), Raktavikara (blood disorders), Hridaroga (heart POWDER STUDY
diseases), Shwas (bronchial infections), Kaasa (cough), Medoroga
(obesity), Aoupsargika roga(opportunistic infections)5 Organoleptic characters

DOSAGE2 Colour: Grayish green to yellowish green

Taste: mucilaginous, extremely bitter
Leaf powder : 1-3gm Texture: fine powder
Seed powder : 1-3gm Odour: faint, Characteristic
Leaf juice : 5- 10ml A few fragments of both upper and lower epidermii which are
polygonal, paracytic stomata, unicellular trichomes, calcium oxalate
SUBSTIUTES & ADULTERANTS crystals, prisms and fibres are observed.

Cassia occidentalis Linn. is sometimes used as a substitute for PHYSICOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS

Cassia tora on account of linguistic similarity in regional names.
Cassia tora seeds are used as substitute for coffee9. Loss on drying: 4.5%

PHARMACOGNOSY Ash values

MACROSCOPY OF LEAF Total ash Not more than 9%
Water soluble ash Not more than 6.5%
Size 2.0-5.0cm
Shape Lanceolate Extractive values
Margin Entire Water extractive value Not less than 15%
Venation pinnate veins, anastomosing towards margin Alcohol extractive value Not less than 35%
Apex Acute
Base Asymmetrical Preliminary phytochemical screening
Surface pubescent with press marking
Texture firm, flexible 5 gm of powder was cold macerated (24 hours) with 25 ml of distil
Colour pale green yellowish green water to obtain the test solution. This test solution was subjected to
Taste mucilaginous & bitter
various chemicals to detect the presence of secondary metabolites.
Odour faint
Attachment Petiolate
TEST Aqueous Extract
Phyllotaxy Opposite
Alkaloids --
General Appearance entire & less broken
Steroids --
Coumarins --
MICROSCOPY (Figure 1)10,13 Flavonoids --
Tannins --
The leaf is typically isobilateral, showing distinct differentiation in Saponins --
palisade and spongy tissue. The microscopy of the leaf reveals Cyanogenic glycosides --
following anatomical features: Cardiac glycosides --
Anthraquinone glycosides +++
Upper epidermis Proteins --
Single layered, few cells contain mucilage, epidermis is covered Amino acids --
with cuticle. Mucilage +
Sugars +

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CASSIA TORA - SEED Preliminary phytochemical screening

MACROSCOPY 5 gm of powder was cold macerated (24 hours) with 25 ml of distil

Colour: shiny brown water to obtain the test solution. This test solution was subjected to
Odour: bitter various chemicals to detect the presence of secondary metabolites.
Taste: bitter
Size: Length: 4 – 5 mm TEST Aqueous Extract
Thickness: 1 – 2 mm Alkaloids --
Shape: elongated, ovoid, and obliquely pointed Steroids --
Texture: smooth Coumarins --
Flavonoids ++
MICROSCOPY (Figure 2)10,13 Tannins --
Saponins --
Cyanogenic glycosides ++
Testa:
Cardiac glycosides --
(A)Outer Integument : Anthraquinone glycosides +++
Epidermis : single layer ,polygonal tabular cells with thin anticlinal Proteins ++
walls filled with mucilage. Amino acids --
Sub –epidermis : one or two layers of cylindrical collenchyma Mucilage +
Sugars --
(B) Inner Integument :
Sclerenchymatous layer : Longitudinally elongated ,lignified PHYTOCHEMISTRY
sclerides,120-190 µ long and 14 – 17 µ wide ,thick walled ,pitted
,very small lumen. Various types of phytochemical investigations have been carried out
(Parenchymatous layer : One or two layers , thin ,tangentially for Cassia tora. All of these investigations explored novel
elongated, collapsed parenchymatous cells. compounds from the plant which is summarized below.3,5,8, 3’,4’,
Pigment layer : single layer of flattened polygonal pigment cells 5 – hexahydroxy flavone, hydroxycoumarin, auraptenol, euphol,
with reddish brown contents. basseol, emodin, rhein, palmatic, isostearic, behenic acids,ethyl
Endosperm : Polyhedral,cellulosic parenchyma with oil globules arachidate and β-sitosterol (stem bark); palmitic , stearic , linoleic
and aleurone grains. acids, torosachrysone,questine, glucose, galactose,xylose, raffinose,
Aleurone grains : upto 20 µ in diameter with globoid crystals. two lactones – isotoractone and cassialactone , naphtho – α- pyrone
Cotyledon : Cells and cell contents are similar to endosperm. – torolactone, chrysophanol, physcion,emodin, rubrofurasin and
chrysophanic acid -9-anthrone (seeds). methyl anthraquinone ,
POWDER STUDY emodin,triacontan-1-o1,stigmasterol, β – sitosterol- β –D-glucoside,
fridelin, palmitic,stearic, succinic, d-tartaric acid,uridine,
Organoleptic characters myoinositol, d-ononitol, kaempferol, isoquercitin (leaves)
Colour: Brown kaemferol glucoside (flowers); amino acids,fatty acids,aloe-
Odour: Faint emodin,chrysophanol,emodin,rhein, and sitosterol(seeds and
Taste: Mucilagenous, bitter leaves)mericyl alcohol,chrysophanic acid, its 9-anthrone derivative,
Powder shows presence of yellow coloured sclerenchymatous fibres 8hydroxy 3- methyl anthraquinone -1- β- gentiobioside, a naptho –
with pitted walls and narrow lumen, fragments of collenchymatous α- pyrone physicon, rubrafusarin , its 6 β gentiobioside ,
hypodermis and polygonal epidermis filled with mucilage, aluerone torolactone 1,3,5 – trihydroxy - 6,7- dimethoxy -2-
grains and fatty oil globules, few cells from pigment layer shows methylanthraquinone, β- sitosterol, leucopelargonidin -3-0- α – L-
square cells with yellow mass. rhamnopyranoside physcion, rubrofusarin & chrysophanic acid
(roots)5,23.
PHYSICOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
FORMULATIONS & PREPARATIONS
Loss on drying: 2%
Ash values Dadrughni vati, Dadrugajendrasingh rasa, Madhyammanjishthadi
kwatha, Brihatmarichayadi taila,Somraji taila, Trinaka taila,
Total ash Not more than 9% Kandarpasara taila, Mahatrinaka taila, Sarvatobhadra taila5,25.
Water soluble ash Not more than 6.5%
CONCLUSION
Extractive values
The Cassia tora plant is native plant of Indian subcontinent. The
Water extractive value Not less than 30% pharmacological activities reported in this is present review confirm
Alcohol extractive value Not less than 40% that the therapeutic value of Cassia tora is very high having a
leading capacity for the development of a new, safe, effective and
cheaper drug in future, but more pharmacological investigations,
clinical trials and public awareness for the best utilization of its
medicinal properties is required. Hence, pharmaceutical companies
should also come forward with new concepts and methods towards
the best use of this potential medicinal plant.

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Figure 1 - T.S. of Leaf Figure 2: T.S. of seed

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Rakesh Bansidhar Dubey, Balaji Sopanrao Sawant. Pharmacognostic study of Cassia tora L.: A review. J Pharm Sci Innov. 2015;4(4):208-211
http://dx.doi.org/10.7897/2277-4572.04446

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