Introduction: Medicago sativa Linn. (Alfalfa) is Fabaceae family plant used in traditional system of medicines. M. sativa is used to improve the memory, to cure kidney pain, cough, as a rejuvenator, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and in CNS disorders. With the view of its medicinal importance preliminary pharmacognostic and Phyto-chemical studies of the M. sativa were carried out. Methods: Detailed morphological and qualitative as well as quantitative microscopic studies were carried out. This was followed by Phytochemical screening of the species with quantification of total phenolic content. Results: Leaf surface microscopy of M. sativa shows Wavy-walled epidermal cells, Anisocytic as well as anomocytic stomata. The chief powder characteristics of M. sativa powder are horse-shoe shaped annular xylem vessels, pitted xylem vessels and abundant covering trichomes. Various quantitative microscopic parameters were also established. Alkaloid, Flavanoid, phenols, terpenoids, tannins, sterols and terpenoids were detected in M. Sativa plant extracts. Conclusion: The present work can serve as a useful tool in the identification, authentication and standardization of the plant material.
Loading....