Abstract:
Lactuca sativa L. is an erect, annual herb belonging to the family Asteraceae. The leaves are useful in
angina pectoris, ascitis, asthma, constipation, cough, diarrhea, hysteria, gonorrhoea, affections of liver
and spleen and pain in pylorus and spinal cord. Leaves are long, thin, orbicular or oblong, obovate,
crisp and radical. The trichomes are uniseriate filiform capitate, uniseriate macroform conical and
biseriate filiform capitate types; mesophyll is undifferentiated; laticiferous ducts and prismatic crystals
are present in ground tissue; midvein bundle is bicollateral. The powder microscopic and organoleptic
characters are provided.
Physico-chemical parameters of raw drug viz., extractive values, ash values, formulation, besides
weight per ml., total solids, alcohol content along with thin layer chromatography (TLC) and ultraviolet
spectroscopic (UV) studies have been undertaken for mother tincture for the first time.
