Abstract

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF UN-PURIFIED AND PURIFIED FORM OF NERVAALAM (CROTON SEEDS) BY PHARMACOGNOSTICAL, PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND FT-IR ANALYSIS.

J. Kanimozhi*, S. Vanathi, A.M. Dharsana and P. Shanmugapriya

ABSTRACT

The World Health Organization (WHO) has now imparting an greater effort regarding the need and importance of medicinal plants for public health care in developing countries like India and has evolved with specific guidelines to support the member states in their capacity to formulate national policies on traditional medicine and to study their potential usefulness including standardization, evaluation, safety and efficacy. Standardization of herbs is an essential factor in order to assess the quality, purity, safety and efficacy of drugs based on the concentration of their active principles. It is very important to establish a system of standardization for every plant medicine in the market, since the scope for variation in different batches of medicine is enormous. Still now there is no proper documentary evidence available on purification aspect of this medicinal herb and hence this prompted us to peruse systematic characterization of purification process of the plant Nervaalam (Croton tiglium). Croton seeds (CS) are traditionally used in abdominal disorders constipation and dyspepsia. Croton seeds were subjected to microscopical, physicochemical and FT-IR analysis in order to ascertain its purity. Results of pharmacognostical evaluation of CS show the presence of well distinguished seed coat, pericarp, cotyledon and section of seed coat reveals visible meso and endocarp. Further presence of calcium oxalate crystals was confirmed in the endocarp. The results obtained from physicochemical analysis of un purified CS reveals that total ash value of CS is about 2.74% in which acid insoluble ash is 1.44%. Extraction value of drugs renders most significant information about partition of the active component the results of extract value study shows that alcohol soluble extract of CS is 11.50% and water soluble extract is 8.49%. The loss on drying value of CS is about 11.35%. Physicochemical analysis of Purified CS reveals that total ash value of CS is about 2.28% in which acid insoluble ash is 1.08%. The results of extract value study shows that alcohol soluble extract of CS is 9.87% and water soluble extract is 2.36%. The loss on drying value of purified CS is about 10.80%. Result obtained from the FT-IR analysis reveals that raw unpurified CS shows the presence of functional groups like alcohol, alkane, nitro, acid and aldehyde ,whereas the purified sample indicates the presence of alkenes and amines in addition to existing functional groups.

Keywords: Nervaalam, Croton tiglium, Croton seeds, Pharmacognostical evaluation Physicochemical, FTIR.