Pharmacognostical Traits and GC-MS-Based Chemical Profiling of Ajuga parviflora Benth as Quality Control Perspectives

In the realm of traditional medicine, Ajuga parviflora (Neelkanthi), a member of the Labiatae family, has long been valued for its therapeutic properties. This research is aimed to explore the pharmacognostic traits of A. parviflora (aerial and underground parts), which include organoleptic and microscopic examinations, elemental analysis, preliminary phytochemical screening, and physicochemical properties evaluations. Organoleptic and microscopic assessments revealed characteristic features and intricate arrangements of cellular structures within A. parviflora leaves and roots. In the elemental analysis, toxic heavy metals (Cd, & Pd) were found absent, while micro (Mn, Na, Zn, Cu) and macro (Ca, Fe, Mg, K) elements were found significant. The preliminary phytochemical screening also revealed the presence of different classes of compounds. Further, physicochemical analysis of aerial and underground parts showed foreign matter (9.96-12.38%), moisture content (28.15-30.43%), total ash values (15.1-17.09%), and pH of different parts extracts were found in the range of 6.82-8.30. Additionally, essential oils (EOs) were extracted from the aerial and underground parts of A. parviflora using a Clevenger apparatus. The volatile composition of the oil was profiled using GC-MS analysis and identified 21 diversified metabolites that account for 86.27-93.4% of the total oils of different samples. Patchouli alcohol (72.77%), seychellene (6.23%), phytone (56.62-1.13%), and β-guaiene (2.49%) emerged as a major volatile components of A. parviflora. Overall findings suggested quality measures for the standardization, identification, and quality control of A. parviflora.