PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING ON LEAVES OF VISCUM ALBUM L.
Viscum album L., a member of Viscaceae, which is commonly called as Mistletoe is chosen for the present study. Mistletoe is a parasitic plant usually found growing on other host trees. The present investigation was analyzed to evaluate the pharmacognostical and preliminary phytochemical studies on selected medicinal plant Viscum album. Anatomical studies of leaf shows paracytic stomata and numerous crystals of calcium oxalate. The histochemical analysis of leaves showed the marked presence of tannin, mucilage, protein and moderate presence of starch and lignin. The phytochemical analysis of leaves showed the marked presence of flavonoids a nd glycosides; moderate amount of tannin, phenol and alkaloid; absence of saponin, anthraquinone, catechins and coumarins