Poonam Agrawal

The present work envisages assessment of microwave assisted extraction (MAE) followed by comparison with that of conventional methods for effective extraction of colchicine from Gloriosa superba tubers. Subsequently, optimum conditions for MAE were determined using response surface methodology by employing Box-Behnken design. The observed optimal conditions for efficient extraction of colchicine using microwave were 15 min, 245 W and 100% methanol which showed 0.64% colchicine as compared to conventional with 0.48% by heat reflux extraction. Assessment of extraction techniques revealed that significant amount of time and energy could be saved using MAE, whilst lesser amount of organic solvent consumption showed an eco-friendly nature.

This study was undertaken to isolate and quantify aristolochic acid in Aristolochia indica stem and Apama siliquosa root. Aristolochic acid is an important biomarker component present in the Aristolochiaceae family. The isolation method involved simple solvent extraction, precipitation and further purification, using recrystallization. The structure of the compound was confirmed using infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. A specific and rapid high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method was developed for analysis of aristolochic acid. The method involved separation on the silica gel 60 F254 plates using the single solvent system of n-hexane: chloroform: methanol. The method showed good linear relationship in the range 0.4-2.0 μg/spot with r2 = 0.998. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 62.841 ng/spot and 209.47 ng/spot, respectively. The proposed validated HPTLC method was found to be an easy to use, accurate and convenient method that could be successfully used for standardization and quality assessment of herbal material as well as formulations containing different species of the Aristolochiaceae family.

A simple, rapid, precise and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for simultaneous estimation of withaferin A and Z-guggulsterone in a polyherbal formulation containing Withania somnifera and Commiphora wightii. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a Purosphere RP-18 column (particle size 5 µm) with a mobile phase consisting of Solvent A (acetonitrile) and Solvent B (water) with the following gradients: 0–7 min, 50% A in B; 7–9 min, 50–80% A in B; 9–20 min, 80% A in B at a flow rate of 1 mL/min and detection at 235 nm. The marker compounds were well separated on the chromatogram within 20 min. The results obtained indicate accuracy and reliability of the developed simultaneous HPLC method for the quantification of withaferin A and Z-guggulsterone. The proposed method was found to be reproducible, specific, precise and accurate for simultaneous estimation of these marker compounds in a combined dosage form. The HPLC method was appropriate and the two markers are well resolved, enabling efficient quantitative analysis of withaferin A and Z-guggulsterone. The method can be successively used for quantitative analysis of these two marker constituents in combination of marketed polyherbal formulation.

The present work aims to develop and validate a reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for quantification of convallatoxin in Antiaris toxicaria Leusch. seed. The seed extract was analysed on C18 column utilizing water and acetonitrile as mobile phase under isocratic elution at 220 nm, therefore this method can be used for standardization by estimation of convallatoxin, a cardenolide in Antiaris toxicaria.

This study was undertaken to isolate and quantify azafrin in Alectra parasitica (Scrophulariaceae) rhizomes. A simple method for the isolation of carotenoid, azafrin, involves solvent extraction of the dried rhizome powder using a single solvent and further purification by recrystallisation. The structure of the compound was elucidated and confirmed by thin-layer chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectral analysis. A specific and rapid reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the analysis of azafrin. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, linearity and specificity. Validation revealed that the method is specific, accurate, precise, reliable and reproducible. The proposed HPLC method can be used for the identification and quantitative analysis of azafrin in A. parasitica rhizomes.