IJHS
Interprofessional Journal of Health Sciences
formerly Bulletin of Health, Science and Technology (BHST)
https://ijhs.rsu.ac.th
ISSN (Print) 2672-9628
ISSN (Online) 2672-9423
Interprofessional Journal of Health Sciences. Vol.11 No.2 , July - December 2013.
THE PHARMACOGNOSTIC SPECIFICATION OF ARDISIA ELLIPTICA FRUITS AND THEIR EMBELIN CONTENTS BY TLC IMAGE ANALYSIS COMPARED TO TLC DENSITOMETRY
Pongsathorn Yukongphan , Worathat Thitikornpong , Chanida Palanuvej , and Nijsiri Ruangrungsi
Abstract
Ardisia elliptica Thunb. (Myrsinaceae) or Pilangkasa is one of the herbs in traditional Thai medicine. Its fruits are used for treatment of diarrhea, fever, liver disease, and leprosy disease. A. elliptica fruits contain a quinone derivative, embelin as a major constituent. TLC combination with densitometry or image analysis is easy and rapid method for quantitation of the active compound in plant extracts. The pharmacognostic specification of A. elliptica fruits collected from 15 different sources throughout Thailand was performed. Embelin content was analyzed by successively soxhlet extraction with hexane followed by TLC-densitometry and image analysis using n-butanol, n-propanol and 4 N ammonia (1:7:2) as mobile phase and UV254 visualization. Quantitative analysis of embelin in A. elliptica fruits by TLC densitometry and TLC image analysis were validated. The results demonstrated the contents of loss on drying, total ash, acid insoluble ash, ethanol-soluble extractive, water-soluble extractive and moisture as 10.54 ± 0.08, 5.53 ± 0.15, 0.33 ± 0.06, 4.92 ± 0.45, 9.42 ± 0.91 and 10.61 ± 0.69 % by weight respectively. Embelin contents were 1.64 ± 1.02 % by weight by TLC-densitometry and 1.54 ± 1.10 % by weight by TLC image analysis. The embelin contents by both methods were not statistically significant different.
Keywords: Ardisia elliptica Thunb., pharmacognostic specification, embelin