Pharmacognostic and Physicochemical Studies of Embelia ribes Burm. f. Fruit used in Ayurvedic Formulations

 

A. K. Meena¹*, Anshul Sinha¹, M. D. Gupta¹, A. K. Mangal², G. Reddy⁴, S. C. Verma^3, and M. M. Padhi³

¹National Research Institute for Ayurveda - Siddha Human Resource Development, Gwalior

²National Institute of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical Research, Patiala -147001

³Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Science, Janakpuri, Delhi – 110058

⁴Raja Ramdeo Anandilal Podar Ayurveda Cancer Research Institute, Mumbai

Plants are the great sources of medicines, especially in traditional system of medicine, which are useful in the treatment of various diseases. The recent global resurgence of interest in herbal medicines has led to an increase in the demand for them. In Indian system of medicine ‘Ayurveda’ Embelia ribes Burm. f. is popularly known as Vidanga. Medicinal uses of Vidanga as per Ayurveda are Shula, krimiroga (Antihelmenthic), udararoga, adhmina, appetiser, mild laxative, carminative, anthelmintic, alexiteric, dyspepsia. Embelia ribes Burm. f. fruit has been shown to possess astringent, carminative, stimulant, antioxidant, anti-spermatogenic, anti-bacterial and anticancer activity. Embelia ribes Burm. f. fruits contains embelin (3-undecyl 2, 5- dihydroxy, 1, 4-benzoquinone), quinone, and fatty ingredients, christembine, resinoid, tannins and minute quantities of a volatile oil. Important ayurvedic formulations of vidanga are Vidangirishta, Vidanga lauha, Vidangidi lauha are some of the important formulations of Embelia ribes Burm. f.

 

The analysis and quality control of herbal medicines are moving towards an integrative and comprehensive direction, in order to better address the inherent holistic nature of herbal medicines. The present paper attempts to evaluate the pharmacognostical, physicochemical parameters and HPTLC profile of the Embelia ribes Burm. f. fruit for identification of the drug in dry form and control the adulteration of raw drugs used in ayurvedic formulations.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

In Indian system of medicine ‘Ayurveda’, the Embelia ribes Burm. f. is popularly known as Vidanga. The vernacular names of this plant are Krimighna in Sanskrit , Vidang in Assamese,  Marathi,  Oriya, Bengali , Vavding in  Gujarati , Vayavidanga in Hindi , Kannada , Babading in Kashmiri: Vizhalari in  Malayalam, Babrung in  Punjabi, Vayuvidangam in Tamil, Vayuvidangalu  in Telugu and Baobarang in Urdu language ^[1]. Embelia ribes Burm.f. commonly known as ‘False Black Pepper’ and White-flowered Embelia.  It is a threatened woody shrub belongs to the family Myrsinaceae, which is sparsely distributed in the moist deciduous forests of the Western Ghats, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and South China ^[2].

 

It is available throughout India up to an altitude of 5000 feet ^[3]. Leaves are 7.5 by 3 cm, in size, obtusely acuminate, base cuneate or rhomboid, nerve slender flowers scarcely 0.2 cm long, white ovary ovoid, not conic upwards. Fruits globular, varying in colour from dull red to nearly black warty or wrinkled^[4].The whole plant is used in the treatment of anti-inflammatory to relieve rheumatism and fever^[5].The fruit is bitter in taste, good appetizer, cures tumors, ascites, bronchitis, jaundice and mental disorders^[6].The fruit of Embelia ribes has been described as best krimighna (wormicidal in Ayurvedic classics) against pathogens ^[7].Seeds are used as antibiotic, anthelmintic, antituber-culosis, alterative and stimulative^[2]. Leaves are astringent, demulcent, depurative and useful in pruritus, sore throat, ulcers of mouth, indolecent, skin diseases and leprosy^[8]. The action and uses of Embelia ribes is to dispel intestinal worms and fungal pathogens such as ringworm. It is effective in worm infestation and intestinal colic in children, increases the haemoglobin count and iron content in the blood. It is used in general weakness, anemia and is a natural blood purifier, useful in maintaining the body weight. It controls appetite and thus reduces obesity ^[9].

Embelia ribes fruits contain a quinone derivative embelin (3-undecyl 2, 5- dihydroxy, 1,4-benzoquinone), an alkaloid christembine ^[10] and a volatile oil vilangin; its chemical constituentis 2,5-dihydroxy-4-undecyl-3,6-benzoquinone^[11]. The fruit contains embelic acid, tannins, christembine and embelin ^[1] as major constituents. Vilangin,                          2, 5-isobutylamine salts, quercetol and volatile oil are also present ^[11-14]. Embelin showed significant antibacterial and anticonvulsant activity ^{[15, 16]}. Various extract of Embelia ribes showed a significant anthelmintic activity ^[17-20], antioxidant ^{[21, 22]}, neuroprotective property ^[23], antifertility activity and also anti-oestrogenic activity ^[24]. 

 

Vidang (Embelia ribes Burm. f.)  possess some important Ayurvedic properties i.e.   Rasa- Tikta; Guna- Tikshna; Virya- Ushna; Vipaka –Katu; Karma - Anulomana, Dipana, Kriminisana, Vitakaphipaha ^[1,8]. Vidanga (Embelia ribes Burm. f.) is used as main ingredient in important ayurvedic formulations like Vidangirishta, Vidanga lauha, and Vidangidi lauha etc ^[1].

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Plant material:

The samples of Embelia ribes Burm. f. fruit was collected from local market of Patiala, Punjab, India. Specimen were identified and authenticated at the National Institute of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical Research, CCRAS, Patiala. Powder of the sample was used for Pharmacognostical, physico-chemical analysis and HPTLC profile. Different physicochemical parameters like Total ash, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash, ethanol soluble extractive value, water soluble extractive value, loss on drying, HPTLC and powder microscopic were carried out on collected sample. 

 

RESULT AND DISCUSSION:

Powder Microscopy:

Microscopy of the powder (figure. 1) showed reddish pink colored powder of Embelia ribes Burm. f. without any odour and slightly bitter-astringent taste. The powder shows characters like pitted vessels, elongated pitted sclereids with narrow and broad lumen , long thin walled fibres with tapering end, stone cells of various shapes, stellata trichomes, endosperm cells etc.

 

Physico-chemical analysis of Embelia ribes fruit:

Fruit of the Embelia ribes Burm. f. was collected for the analysis of various Physico-chemical parameters is tabulated in Table 1. Deterioration time of the plant material depends upon the amount of water present in plant material. If the water content is high, the plant can be easily deteriorated due to fungus. The loss on drying at 105°C in root was found to be 8.62 %. Total ash value of plant material indicated the amount of minerals and earthy materials attached to the plant material. Analytical results showed total ash value content was 5.79%. The negligible amount of acid-insoluble siliceous matter present in the plant was 0.57%. The water-soluble extractive value was indicating the presence of sugar, acids and inorganic compounds. The alcohol soluble extractive values indicated the presence of polar constituents like phenols, alkaloids, steroids, glycosides, flavonoids the results given in Table1.

 

 

Table 1. Physicochemical parameters of  Embelia ribes Burm. f. Fruit

 

Thin layer chromatography:

Thin layer chromatographic technique was used to separate the chemical compounds present in the drug. Various solvent systems were checked to separate the maximum number of active chemical compounds in the drug.  2g of the Embelia ribes sample was soaked in 25 ml of a mixture of ethanol and water (50:50, v/v) for 24 hrs and was extracted. The extract was filtered through Whatman No. 1 filter paper. The filtrate was dried under reduced pressure at 50°C using rotary vacuum evaporator. Final extract was dissolved in ethanol and made up to 10 ml accurately and used for HPTLC analysis. 10 µl of extract and gallic acid (standard) were applied on (E. Merck) Aluminium plate pre-coated with Silica gel 60 F₂₅₄ of 0.2 mm thickness using Linomat IV applicator. The application positions X and Y were 10 mm and 10 mm, respectively, to avoid edge effects. Linear ascending development to a distance of 80 mm with toluene : ethyl acetate : formic acid (2 : 7 : 0.5 v/v/v)  as mobile phase was performed in a twin-trough glass chamber (20 cm × 10 cm) previously saturated with mobile phase vapour for 20 min. The plates were dried in air and photo documented at λ 254 nm and λ 366 nm and after derivatization with anisaldehyde-sulphuric acid reagent under visible light.

 

HPTLC profile of the hydro-alcohol extract of Embelia ribes fruit solution and gallic acid standard  developed in the mobile phase of toluene : ethyl acetate : formic acid (2 : 7 : 0.5 v/v/v) (Figure. 2) one  bands of sample at R_f  value 0.52  and  one band of standard  R_f  0.52, (all bands are dark green colour) under UV 254 nm ; five bands of sample at R_f 0.11, 0.23, 0.42,0.52, 0.16 and  one band of standard  R_f  0.52 (all bands are blue and pale blue colour) under UV 366 nm and after derivatization with Anisaldehyde- sulphuric acid , two bands of sample at R_f 0.42, 0.52 and one band of standard at R_f  0.52  under visible light were observed.

 

CONCLUSION:

Morphology as well as various Pharmacognostic aspects of the Embelia ribes Burm. f. fruit sample was studied and described along with physico-chemical parameters and HPTLC profile. These parameters will be useful in authentication and identifying the adulterants and quality control of raw drugs. Fruit of Embelia ribes exhibited a set of diagnostic characters which will help to identify the drug in dried condition. It has been concluded from this study that estimation of these parameters is highly essential for raw drugs or plant parts used for the preparation of Ayurvedic formulations. The periodic assessment is essential for quality control and assurance for safer use of herbal drugs.

 

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

The authors are very grateful to Director General, CCRAS, New Delhi and Institute In charge, NIAPR, Patiala for providing encouragement and facilities for carrying out this work.

 

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Received on 25.02.2013          Modified on 05.03.2013

Accepted on 10.03.2013         © RJPT All right reserved