EVALUATION OF PHARMACOPOEIAL STANDARDS WITH REFERENCE TO AFTIMOON- WHOLE PLANT (CUSCUTA REFLEXA ROXB.)

EVALUATION OF PHARMACOPOEIAL STANDARDS WITH REFERENCE TO AFTIMOON- WHOLE PLANT (CUSCUTA REFLEXA ROXB.)

Rampratap Meena*, A. K. Meena , S. Mageswari , D. Ramaswamy and S. Ahmed Khan

Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine , Royapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

National Institute of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical Research , Patiala, Punjab., India

Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine , Janakpuri, New Delhi, India

ABSTRACT

The herbal single drug Aftimoon is botanically called as Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. (whole plant).  In the recent past tremendous attempts are being made to evaluate the scientific standards for Traditional System of Medicine, particularly in Unani System of Medicine.  The Physician of Unani System of Medicine has considered this drug as one of the important single drugs and this drug has been used extensively in the preparation of Unani Compound Formulations such as Itrifal-e-Aftimoon, Itrifal-e-Ustukhudus, Itrifal-e-Deedan, Itrifal-e-Ghudadi, Itrifal-e-Mushil, Majoon-e-Ushba and Sufoof-e-Chobchini etc.,  This drug is therapeutically useful in the treatment of insanity, melancholia, melanous, epilepsy, numpness, paralysis, facial palsy, arthritis, worm infestation, jaundice and in the weakness of liver, stomach and spleen.  As per the action the drug is very effective in cathartic to black bile and phlegm, demulcent, resolvent, carminative and antihelmintic.  In order to authenticate and to develop its pharmacopoeial standards WHO guidelines were followed provided by CCRUM, New Delhi.  For the Evaluation of Pharmacopoeial standards Pharmacognostical and Phyto-chemical parameters were adopted.  The Thin Layer Chromatographic studies of petroleum ether (60 - 80°), chloroform and alcohol extract was also carried out to ascertain the quality of this drug.

INTRODUCTION: The herbal single drug Aftimoon (whole plant) is botanically called as Cuscuta reflexa Roxb ¹.  The plant is parasitic, common throughout in plains and growing abundantly during rainy season on various host plants in India.  Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. is declared a noxious weed in many countries.  The single drug Aftimoon is one of the important ingredients in the preparation of various Unani Compound Formulation such as Itrifal-e-Aftimoon, Itrifal-e-Ustukhudus, Itrifal-e-Deedan, Itrifal-e-Ghudadi, Itrifal-e-Mushil, Majoon-e-Ushba and Sufoof-e-Chobchini ^{2, 3} etc., the standardization of Herbal drugs and their bio-constituents are of paramount importance in justifying their acceptability using modern scientific methods.  As the drug Aftimoon (Whole plant) is having many medicinal properties and therapeutic uses such as in the treatment of insanity, melancholia, melanous, epilepsy, numpness, paralysis, facial palsy, arthritis, worm infestation, jaundice and in the weakness of liver, stomach and spleen, it is necessary to maintain its quality and purity in the market place ⁴.

In order to prevent the adulteration, substitution, wrong identification and authentication and to fix the standards for Aftimoon (Whole plant), the modern Pharmacognostical and Phyto-chemical methods have been adopted ^{5, 6}.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The drug Aftimoon (Whole plant) was procured from various places such as Chennai, Allahabad and New Delhi for the evaluation of Pharmacopoeial standards.  The following methods have been used for the evaluation of Pharmacopoeial standards ⁷.

Pharmacognostical methods:

• Macroscopic study
• Microscopic study
• Powder microscopy

Physico-chemical methods ^{8, 9}:

• Identity, Purity and Strength
• Qualitative test for Inorganic Compound
• Qualitative test for Heavy Metals
• Qualitative test for Organic Compounds
• Quantitative estimation for Organic Compounds
• Determination of pH values
• Thin Layer Chromatography            

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

Pharmacognostic Methods:

Macroscopic: Dry, thread like stem pieces, brown in color; about 8mm in thickness; fruit capsule, small, globose or ovoid; seeds dark brown or black in color, spherical to ellipsoidal, less than 1mm thickness, no characteristic odor and taste.

Microscopic:

Stem: T. S. of stem shows circular or slightly wavy outline; epidermis consisting of single layer of oblong thin walled parenchymatous cells; cortex consisting of wide region of parenchymatous cells; vascular system reduced to a central core of a few collateral, 4 or 5 bundles, around a central small pith region; phloem occurs in prominent patches on the outer part of each xylem strand

Fruit: T. S. of fruit shows an outer layer consisting of tangentially, narrowly oblong thin walled parenchyma cells with periclinal division at certain places; inner layer consisting of broad, barrel shaped cells with their inner tangential and radial walls very thick (‘U’ shaped).

Seeds: T. S. of seed triangular or rectangular; epidermis single layer consisting of thick walled radially elongated cells filled with aleurone grains; a thick echinate cuticle present; palisade consisting of single layer of broad, compact thin walled parenchyma cells; few layers of collapsed cells adhering to inner layer of palisade cells at certain places; endosperm present consisting of few layers of thin walled parenchyma cells filled with starch grains; embryo minute embedded in a mass of crushed or shrunken cotyledons.

FIG. 1: MACROSCOPIC OF CUSCUTA REFLEXA ROXB. WHOLE PLANT

FIG. 2: MICROSCOPIC OF CUSCUTA REFLEXA ROXB. WHOLE PLANT 

Powder analysis: Brown, polygonal and oblong cells present, epidermal cells in surface view, vessels with spiral and annular thickening upto 110µ, fibers with simple and bordered pits of length upto 1100µ and breadth upto 30µ. 

Phyto-chemical methods: The drug contains important chemical constituents such as dulcitol, luteolin, quercetin and a glycoside luteolin.  Phyto-chemical data were carried out such as Identity, Purity and Strength; Qualitative test for Inorganic Compounds; Qualitative test for Organic Compounds; Quantitative estimation for Organic Compounds, Qualitative test for Heavy Metals; Determination of pH values and Thin Layer Chromatographic studies and the results are shown in Table 1-7.

TABLE 1: IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH PARAMETERS ANALYSIS

TABLE 2: QUALITATIVE TEST FOR INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

TABLE 3: QUALITATIVE TEST FOR HEAVY METALS

TABLE 4: QUALITATIVE TEST FOR ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

TABLE 5: QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATION FOR ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

TABLE 6: DETERMINATION OF pH VALUES

TABLE 7: THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY

CONCLUSION: The drug Aftimoon (Whole plant) is therapeutically useful in the weakness of the liver, stomach and spleen, this drug is also used for insanity, melancholia, epilepsy, numbness, paralysis, facial palsy, arthritis, worm infestation and jaundice. Using Pharmacognostical and Phyto-chemical methods other single drugs can also be standardized in order to authenticate and fix the standards for raw drugs.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: We are very grateful to the Director, Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine, New Delhi for the encouragement and providing necessary facilities to carry out the research work.

REFERENCES:

1. Anonymous: The Wealth of India (Raw Materials), Vol. II. C. S. I. R., New Delhi, 1950: 406 - 407.
2. Anonymous: National Formulary of Unani Medicine, Part 1, 1981.
3. Chatterjee Asima, Pakrashi Satyesh Chandra: The Treatise on Indian Medicinal Plants, Vol. IV, 1995:146- 147.
4. Asolkar L V, Kakkar K K and Chakre O J: Second Supplement to Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants with a active principles, Part-I (A- K), 1992: 248.
5. Chopra R. N, Nayar, S. L., and Chopra, I. C: Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants, C. S. I. R., New Delhi, 1956: 85.
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7. Mathew K M: The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic, The Rapinat Herbarium, St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirapalli- 620 002, India, 1983: 1013 – 1014.
8. Nadkarni K. M: Indian Materia Medica Vol. I, 1976: 419- 420.
9. Rastogi Ram P and Mehrotra B N: Compendium of Indian Medicinal Plants, Publication and information Directorate, New Delhi, Vol. I- VI, 1993.
   

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