Phytochemical Study and Pharmacognosy of Cassia Occidentalis (Kasmard) in Eastern Rajasthan, India

Morphological and Anatomical Features: Cassia occidentalis, commonly known as coffee senna or septic weed, is a fast-growing herbaceous plant or small shrub belonging to the Fabaceae family. Morphologically, it features erect, branched stems that can grow up to 2 meters in height. The plant has pinnate compound leaves with 4-8 pairs of obovate to lanceolate leaflets, which are smooth, dark green on the upper surface, and paler below. The flowers are bright yellow, arranged in axillary racemes, with five conspicuous petals and prominent stamens. The fruit is a slender, cylindrical pod containing several flattened, dark brown seeds.

Anatomically, the stem is circular in cross-section, with a well-defined epidermis covered by a thin cuticle. The vascular bundles are collateral and open, surrounded by sclerenchymatous cells providing structural support. The leaf anatomy shows a dorsiventral arrangement, with a prominent midrib and spongy mesophyll cells for efficient gas exchange. Glandular trichomes are present, particularly on the leaf petioles and lower surfaces, which may aid in defense against herbivory. This species exhibits xeromorphic adaptations like thick-walled epidermal cells, enabling it to thrive in various environmental conditions, including arid and semi-arid regions.

Distribution: Although it originated in tropical America, it is currently grown across North and Central America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. It grows in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Orissa in India.

Synonyms: C. falcata L., C. foetida Pers., C. caroliniana, C. ciliata Raf., C. torosa Cav., C. planisiliqua, C. marcadenia, C. obliquifolia, C. occidentalis L. var. arista sensu Hassk.

Taxonomical Classification:

Kingdom – Plantae

Division – Angiosperm

Class – Dicotyledonae

Order - Fabales

Family – Fabaceae

Genus – Cassia

Species –C. occidentalis

Fruiting and flowering: Flowers bloom on plants throughout the year. In the Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, fruiting occurs between the months of November and January.

Characters based on morphology: Casia occidentalis Linn. Typical locations for this erect, foetid, annual herb in India include Rajasthan, Gujarat, and other states. It grows to a height of 50–150 cm. Long (15–20 cm), petiolate, apical, paripinnate leaf. The plant has short racemes of yellow flowers, compressed pods that are glabrous and recurved, and dark olive green, ovoid seeds that are shiny, hard, and smooth. The pods are around 10–13 cm by 0.8 cm.

Figure 1: C. occidentalis Linn. A. Whole plant morphology B. Root C. Leaf D. Seeds

Collection and Identification: Samples of Cassia tora were collected from different locations in Eastern Rajasthan, ensuring representation of the plant's variability. Voucher specimens were prepared and authenticated by a botanist.

Morphological and Anatomical Study: The morphological features of Cassia tora, including leaves, flowers, and seeds, were examined using standard botanical techniques. Microscopic studies were conducted to understand the anatomical characteristics.

Phytochemical Analysis: Various phytochemical tests were employed to identify and quantify the secondary metabolites present in Cassia tora, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and glycosides.

Pharmacological Evaluation: We screened the plant extracts pharmacologically to see if they had any bioactivities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, or antibacterial capabilities.

Table 1: - Organoleptic Characters of Cassia occidentalis (Kasmard)

v    Macroscopy

Leaf:

The compound leaves are opposite, uneven, glabrous on top and hairy on the underside. They have three to five pairs of leaflets and are pinnate. The leaves have an extremely putrid smell.

Stem: -

The plant has an upright stem that is 1-2 meters long and 0.5-1.5 cm thick. It branches spirally at the nodes and is green and wrinkled when young, but as it matures, it becomes light brown to dark brown, has numerous ascending branches that are flexuose and smooth, and has internodes that are 2 to 4 cm long.

v    Microscopy

Leaf:

A flat lamina differentiates into palisade and spongy tissue, making the leaf dorsiventral. It has ranunculaceous stomata on both the abaxial and adaxial surfaces, making it amphistomatic. Unicellular trichomes resembling horns were seen on the underside of the leaves. A little dip was seen on the dorsal side and a bulging ventral surface on the T.S. of the midrib. Elongated palisade cells lay orthogonally to the rectangular epidermal cells that bordered the ventral and dorsal surfaces. A delicate cuticle enveloped the cells of the epidermis. There was a chordate-shaped collateral vascular bundle.

Both sides have paracytic stomata, however the number of them is lesser on the underside. The mesophyll cells contain a large number of chloroplasts.

Stem:

In a cross-section of the stem, a thin cuticle covers the outside of the single-layered epidermis, which consists of cells with thin walls. Two to six layers of parenchymatous cells cover the surface of the cortex, which is made up of nine to twelve layers of collenchymatous cells. Encircling the pericycle is the single-layered, parenchymatous endodermis. Numerous cortical cells, including endodermis, contain calcium oxalate crystals, some of which are rosette-shaped while others are exclusively prismatic. A pericycle, first shown by parenchymatous cells, caps each arterial bundle. Many of these cells eventually develop thick walls and lignification, giving birth to stone cells and fibres.

Phytochemical Composition: Alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, saponins, and flavonoids were all found in the phytochemical examination. Various plant portions have varying quantities of these chemicals.

Table 2: Physicochemical Parameter of Cassia occidentalis (Kasmarda)

Table 3: Qualitative Parameter of Cassia occidentalis (Kasmard)

Table 4: TLC of Cassia occidentalis (Kasmard)

Pharmacological Activities: Preliminary pharmacological screening demonstrated significant anti-fungal, antibacterial, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, and Hepatoprotective activities in Cassia occidentalis extracts.

Discussion: Cassia occidentalis has a long history of medicinal usage in Eastern Rajasthan, and this practice is supported by its phytochemical composition and pharmacological activity. There may be pharmaceutical industry uses for the bioactive chemicals found here.

This research on Cassia occidentalis in Eastern Rajasthan sheds light on its phytochemical and pharmacognostic properties. The HPTLC examination revealed the presence of two main chemicals. Further study may be built upon the recorded information to validate the traditional applications and explore the medicinal potential of this plant.