Background: The global herbal medicine market is expanding rapidly, creating an urgent need for robust quality control (QC) protocols to combat widespread adulteration and misidentification, which pose significant risks to consumer safety and product efficacy. Among QC techniques, anatomical authentication through microscopic evaluation remains a foundational and indispensable method.

Objective: This review critically evaluates the application of plant anatomy as a primary tool for the authentication of herbal drugs. It aims to synthesize the principles, techniques, and diagnostic features used, while also discussing its integration within a modern analytical framework.

Methods: A comprehensive literature survey was conducted using scholarly databases to analyze the historical and current practices of microscopic authentication. The review examines standard techniques (light, fluorescence, electron microscopy), details key diagnostic anatomical features (trichomes, stomata, crystals, etc.), and presents case studies illustrating their practical application in detecting adulterants.

Results: Microscopic analysis provides a unique, cost-effective, and legally recognized "fingerprint" for verifying the identity of botanical materials, even in powdered form. Its strengths include minimal sample preparation and definitive qualitative identification. However, its limitations in analyzing processed extracts and distinguishing closely related species necessitate its integration with complementary techniques like chemical profiling (HPTLC, HPLC) and DNA barcoding.