ESTABLISHMENT OF QUALITY STANDARDS FOR SHYONAK: AN IMPORTANT INGREDIENT OF THE DASHMOOLA GROUP OF DRUGS

ESTABLISHMENT OF QUALITY STANDARDS FOR SHYONAK: AN IMPORTANT INGREDIENT OF THE DASHMOOLA GROUP OF DRUGS

Dinesh Kumar Yadav * and Santosh Kumar

S.G.T. College of Pharmacy, S.G.T. University, Gurgram, Haryana, India.

ABSTRACT: Shyonak is botanically equated to Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz. of family Bignoniaceae. It is extensively used in the Indian system of medicine as an important ingredient of ‘Dashmoola and also one of the important constituents of a reputed Ayurvedic formulation ‘Chyavanprash’. The drug consists of root bark of Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz. Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API) advocates that the stem bark can be used in case of the non-availability of the root bark. The root and stem bark is used for the treatments of diarrhoea, dysentery, erythema, gastralgia, hoarseness, infantile, measles, sore throat, urticaria, snake-bite and scorpion-sting. During the market survey it was found that the stembark of Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. (Family- Simarubaceae) is being sold in the name of Shyonak as an adulterant. Considering these points, an attempt has been made to identify and to establish quality standards for both root bark and stem bark of Shyonaka (Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz. along with stem bark of Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. HPTLC fingerprint profiles showed similar and differentiating bands. Five common bands at R_f 0.62, 0.64, 0.79, 0.84, and 0.96 under UV 366 nm were present in the root bark and stem bark of O. indicum, except an additional band in the root bark at R_f 0.56 while the band pattern is totally different in the stem bark of A. excelsa having additional band at different R_f s.

Keywords: Pharmacognosy, Oroxylum indicum, Ailanthus excelsa

INTRODUCTION: According to Ayurvedic literature, ‘Shyonak’ comes under Brihat panchmoola (Group of Five root drugs of Tree Species) of Dashmoola (Decoction of ten root drugs) group of drugs ¹.

It is an active ingredient of well-known Ayurvedic formulations like Amartarista, Awalwha, Brahma Rasayana, Bruhat Pancha, Chyawanaprasha, Dantyadarishta, Dasamoola, Dhanawantara ghrita, Mulayadi kwath, Narayana taila, and Shyonaka patpak.

The root bark of Oroxylum indicum (L.) Benth. Ex. Kurz (Family: Bignoniaceae) is an official drug attributed to Shyonak ^{2, 3, 4, 5}. It is also known as Broken bones tree, Indian trumpet flower, Midnight horror, Shivnak, Sonapatha, and Arul ⁶. The tree is a night-bloomer and flowers are adapted to natural pollination by bats. O. indicum is being used as medicinal herb for thousands of years without any known adverse effects ⁷. The plant is native to the Indian subcontinent with extended distribution to southeast and south Asian countries ⁸. In India, it grows in Himalayan foothills, Eastern and Western Ghats ⁹ and due to the resemblance of its flowers to the trumpet, it is called ‘Trumpet tree’.  The root bark is astringent, bitter and useful in curing cough, fever, diarrhoea, anorexia, dropsy, troubles of bile, and rheumatism ^{1, 10, 11}. The phytochemical investigations of the different parts viz. root, stem, leave, and the seed of the O. indicum revealed the presence of approximately 111 compounds, among which flavonoids are the most abundant.

Further, each plant part, such as root bark, stem bark, leaves, fruits and seeds of O. indicum has high medicinal value. The drug has been scientifically validated for many certain pharmacological activities, namely diuretic, antimutagenic, antimicrobial, anticancer, antiulcer, wound healing, antitumerogenic, hepatoprotective anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antiarthrhitic, immunostimulent, protective effect against acute colitis ^{7, 11, 12}.  Owing to the indiscriminate collection, over exploitation and uprooting of whole plants bearing roots, this valuable tree has become vulnerable in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and endangered in Kerala, Maharastra, M.P. and Chhatisgarh ^{13, 14} and is feared to become endangered soon in other states too.

It is reported in the classical text of Ayurveda that the properties of the main useful part of the plant are the same with other parts of the same plant. Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API) advocates that the stem bark of O. indicum can be used in place of root bark ².

Due to the unavailability of the official drug, the stem bark of O. indicum commonly sold in Indian drug markets under the vernacular name Shyonak or Arul but another species A. excelsa (stem bark) is also being sold as Shyonak or Arul. Hence, in order to ensure the quality of its supply, especially in the times of adulteration and substitution prevailing on the crude drug markets of India, the present communication deals with detailed quality control parameters viz. macro-microscopic description, physicochemical parameters, and thin layer chromatographic profiles of the root bark, stem bark of O. indicum, along with their possible adulterant i.e. stem bark of A. excelsa collected from Chitrakoot (MP) and Lucknow (UP) of India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Plant Material ¹⁵: The root bark, stem bark of Oroxylum indicum, and stem bark of Ailanthus excelsa Roxb.  were collected from Chitrakoot (Madhya Pradesh) and Lucknow (UP), India, respectively. These were identified and authenticated taxonomically at National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India. A voucher specimen no (GGDCK/Bot/003) was deposited in the Institutional herbarium for future reference. The plant materials were shade dried and size reduced and stored until further use in an air-tight container. Fresh plant material was obtained for macroscopical and microscopical evaluation.

Chemicals: All chemicals used were of analytical grade from MERCK and SD Fine chemicals Ltd. We thank full to director of NBRI for providing chemical and all facilities to complete the research work.

Macroscopic and Microscopic Analysis: For microscopic studies, transverse sections (TS) and longitudinal sections (LS) were prepared and stained ¹⁶.

Samples were dried at 50 °C in a hot air oven, stored at 25 °C in an airtight container. Root bark and stem bark of all samples were powdered and sieved through 85 mesh. A small quantity of powdered material was washed with water to remove sugar and then cleared by heating gently with saturated chloral hydrate solution, cooled, and mounted in glycerin for microscopic observation.

Physicochemical Analysis ^{17, 18, 19}: The air-dried plant material was used for the quantitative determination of physicochemical parameters such as the percentage of total ash, acid insoluble ash, water, and alcohol-soluble extractives were calculated according to methods described in the Indian Pharmacopoeia and. The percentage of sugar, starch and tannins were also calculated by means of a spectrophotometer.

TLC Fingerprinting: 1 g of powdered root bark was refluxed for 5 min on a water bath with 5 ml methanol, filtered and the filtrate taken as a test solution and was then applied on HPTLC pre-coated silica gel G60 F254 Merck percolated aluminium sheet of 5 × 10 cm with the help of a Camag Linomat-IV applicator and the plate eluted to a distance of 8.0 cm at room temperature (25 °C) in a solvent system of Toluene, Ethyl acetate and Acetic acid (5:5:0.1).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

Macroscopic Characters and Organoleptic Evaluation: The root bark and stem bark of two different species attributed to ‘Shyonak’ have been studied and these can be differentiated on the basis of macro-microscopic characters. The comparative results have been tabulated in Fig. 1, Table 1.

FIG. 1: MACROSCOPY OF ‘SHYONAK’ (A- O. INDICUM TREE, B- A. EXCELSA TREE, C-  O. INDICUM ROOT BARK, D- O. INDICUM STEM BARK, E- A. EXCELSA STEM BARK

Microscopic Characters: Histologically, both the species of O. indicum and A. sexcelsa can be differentiated on the basis of cork cells, stone cells and medullary rays. The Cork layer varies in size or collapsed in root bark of O. indicum with 700 to 1000 µm thick and 400 µm in stem bark of O. indicum having 2-3 layered cork cells interrupted with stone cells. The A. excelsa is composed of broader phelloderm (2/3rd section occupied by secondary phloem) in comparison to that of O. indicum. Group of Stone cells of the broad lumen and narrow boundaries are present in cork and phelloderm region of O. indicum while phellogen only in A. excelsa with the narrow lumen and broad boundaries.  Phloem fibers are present solitary or in small groups usually arranged in regular tangential bowls in the inner phelloderm of A. excelsa having very peculiar characteristic funnel-shaped multi-cellular, multiseriate, heterogeneous medullary rays. Broadness of medullary rays also varies: 2-3 or 3-5 seriate in the root bark and stem bark of O. indicum respectively Fig. 2, 3.

TABLE 1: COMPARATIVE DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERS OF POSSIBLE ADULTERANTS/ SUBSTITUTES OF SHYONAK

  FIG. 2: MICROSCOPY OF SHYONAK [CCM, CORK CAMBIUM; CK, CORK; CR, CRYSTAL FIBER; CT,

TABLE 2: PHYSICOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF SHYONAK

 TABLE 3: RF VALUES OF SHYONAK

Physicochemical Evaluation: Under physico-chemical values, total ash, acid insoluble ash, tannins and total sugars were found almost lower range in A. excelsaas compared to O. indicum Table. 2.

HPTLC Profile: HPTLC fingerprint profiles Table 3, Fig. 4. also showed similar and differentiating bands. Five common bands at R_f 0.62, 0.64, 0.79, 0.84 and 0.96 under UV 254 nm were present in the root bark and stem bark of O. indicum, except an additional band in the root bark at R_f 0.56 while the band pattern is totally different in the stem bark of A. excelsa having an additional band at different Rfs.

FIG. 3: POWDER MICROSCOPY OF SHYONAK A. A,B,C,D STONE CELLS; E, PHLOEM FIBER; F, XYLEM FIBER; G, CORK CELLS; H, I, J, CRYSTALS; K, MULTICELLULAR HAIRS; B. A, CORK CELLS IN TRANSVERSE VIEW; B, CORK CELLS IN SURFACE VIEW; C, ACICULAR CRYSTALS OF CALCIUM OXALATE; D, STONE CELLS; E, SEPTATE AND NON-SEPTATE FIBRES; F, TANGENTIALLY CUT MEDULLARY RAY; G, RADIALLY CUT MEDULLARY RAYS; C. A, CORK CELLS IN SURFACE VIEW; B, STONE CELLS; C, TRANSVERSELY CUT MEDULLARY RAY; D, FIBRES; E, RADIALLY CUT MEDULLARY RAY; F, STARCH GRAINS; G, PRISMATIC CRYSTALS OF CALCIUM OXALATE

TABLE 3: RF VALUES OF SHYONAK

CONCLUSION: Ayurvedic herbs and their products have been used successfully for thousands of years. The quality control parameters, analytical techniques for identity, purity, and strength are the key point of herbal monographs and pharmacopoeia. The pharmaceutically developed products or any herbal formulation should meet the requirements of the monograph or pharmacopoeia for the efficacy. Quality herbal products can be developed only using scientifically standardized raw materials. O. indicum is considered a genuine or official drug as Shyonak in Ayurveda. However, some other plant species or other parts are also used by their trade name.

The quality control and pharmacognostical parameters can be useful to identify and distinguish other substitutes and adulterants of the drug Shyonak. All three samples used or sold as ‘Shyonak’ can easily be differentiated based on their morphological, microscopical, and chromatographic profile.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Authors thankful to The Director, NBRI, Lucknow, for providing facilities and also thankful to the Director, Higher Education, UP, for encouragement.

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    How to cite this article:

    Yadav DK and Kumar S: Establishment of quality standards for shyonak: an important ingredient of dashmoola group of drugs. Int J Pharm Sci & Res 2021; 12(12):6416-23. doi: 10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.12(12).6416-23.

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