Abstract:
Alpinia galanga Sw. belonging to family Zingiberaceae is an important plant drug in Ayurveda and
Unani Systems. lt forms the basic source of Mahabharivacha and Rasna in Ayurveda and as
Kulanjan-e-kabir in Unani. lt is used for maintaining youthful vigour and strength. lt is a popular
remedy for rheumatism, fevers, digestion, cough, bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory ailments.
Some indigenous plants are being tried and adopted into homoeopathic system of medicine. Alpinia
galanga as well is being introduced in homoeopathy. The reddish pink tuberous rhizomes of Alpinia
galanga are the officinal part. They are 2 to 4.5 cm thick, rounded with horizontal sheathy marking
over surface. The cortex is often interrupted by oil canals. Starch grains densely fill in the cells of
ground cortex. Fibro-vascular bundles are scattered in the cortex and more densely in the vicinity
of endodermis. Sclerenchymatous fibres enclose xylem and phloem. Powder microscopic characters
along with organoleptic characters are presented. Physico-chemical standards viz., ash values,
moisture content, extractive values of raw drugs, constants such as weight per ml. total solids
alcohol content besides TLC, HPTLC and HPLC profiles of mother tincture are given.
