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Arnoaaldgan Vol, 5 No,4 Mey 1992
pages
227-2JI
A SPECTROSCOPIC APPROACH TO THE
P.HARMACOGNOSY
OF wnpELIA CALENDULACEA.
rns^s nniO ECLrprA ALBA (L.)
n lssr.
Y.
S. PRABHAKTH,R, V. NARMATHA and D. SURESH KUMAR.
ABSTN,ACT /
Comparative pharmacogno sy o! Wedelia calend,ulacea Less., and Eclipto al,ba (L.)
Hask,, ie attempted. while microscopical details, ash and hitroEen values didnot
show significant differences, fluof,escence characteristics, uv absorption and r1c
patterns
of
.the
plant extracts exhibited striking dissimilarities, which cdn be
used as pharmacogmostic tools.
Introduction
In traditional Indian medicine
Wedelia calendulacea Less., and Eclipta
alba (t.) Hassh, are used as liver ronics
and,promoters of hair growth (Chopra
et al, r956). These plants are identified
as pita bhrngaraja and sveta bhrngaraja
in Ayurveda (Sharma, r
956)
and manjal
karisalankanni and vellai karisalankanni
i n Si ddha' medi ci ne (ni l l ai , rgsr)
respectively.' Medical practitioners use
either of these plants depending upon
convenienpe and availability, Siddha
Practitioners
preferring W,calendulacea
to E. alba (Yogindranath, 1978) Accor-
ding to Indian tradition these two plants
are considered to be closely reiated in
Diaision of Med,icinal chemistra. c. D; R,, 1., Luclcnow -
226 001. Department, oI Botanu,
Blld,ratltidr Uniuersitg, Coimbatore
-
641 046 o,nd Department of
phA
siotogA, Internationet
Institute of Ayurueda, Coimbatore-6i11 045.
properties. This contention is supported
by the isoiation of some identieii che-
miials from these plants (Govindacharv
and Premi l a, r
98S;
Satyavai i et al , r976\.
Keeping in view the similarities and
widespread use of these species, the
present study was uridertaken to find
parameters for efficient and speedy
identification of thesp drugs.
Materials and Methods
Samples of plant material were
collected from the medicinal garden of
the Institute. Standard procedures were
adopted for quantitative- microscopy of
anatomical characters (Johansen, ig+o;
Wallis. r98S) and determination of ash,
AR,YAVAIDYAN
mineral
and nitr
phries,,ur6,
;;:::,#"Tr"ffil:
r 97 r ) .
'
Approximately
o.g g of air_dried
material
were successively
macerated
thrice
in
5
ml each of petroleum.ether
(6o-8o"),
chl oroform,
ai etone,
"t.ot
ot
and water.
Samples
of these extracrs
I::"
y*d
ro srudy
UV absorb
patterns
(Hitachi
UV Spectrometer),
fluoies"enc"
properties
and TLC
patterns.
Inactivated
, TLC p-l at es
(16 cm x
4
cm x o. 2S mm
coated
with silica
gel_G) *"r" ,rr"d.
Results
and Discussion
Roots,
sterns and leaves
of l4t. calen-
dulacea
and ,9. a/ba
possess
similar
ana_
tomical
characteristics, phloem
6bres
are more
pronounced
i n the roots of
E.
qlbs.
Stomatal
indices,
palisade
ratios,
vein-islet
numbers
4nd palisade
.eti
lengths
of both the plants do not exhibtt
much variation.
However,
E. alba is
characterised
by the presence
of nume_
rous trichomes
with spiny
appendages.
Ash,
mineral
and
nitrogen
.orrt"rrt'of
V[/. calendulacea
and, e. ina
were found
to be close to each other.
Fluorescence
properties,
UV absor_
ption
and TLC
pattern s of W.cqlendulacea
and E a/6a showed
several
dissimilari_
tles. Tor example,
fluorescence
proper_
ties of petroleum
ether
extracrs
"f
rf.r,
stem
and leaf
and chloroform
extracrs
of roors
exhibited
differences
(T.bi;
;t
UV absorption
patterns
of all ext_
racts
were recorded
from
5oo to 2 r o nm,
+ l
rne-sampl es
wcre prepared
by di l uti ns
bydi l ut i ng
o. r
_o. 2
ml of t he ext r aci
to g ml in respective
solvents.
It is
interesting
to note that
petroleum
edier
extracts
showed
considerable
differences
i n thei r
absorpti on
parrerns.
Root
of
ll.calendulacea
showed
absorptions
"i
266,
287. g,
32s. s and
338. 5 , r_ *h"r"",
E.alba
showed
only-prominent
peak at
34
r .S nm. Chl oroform
extracts
of roots
tr'luorescence
TABLE-1
properties
of petroleum
ether extracts
of
W. calendulacea
and. E. atba.
root,
stem
and leaf of
Root
Observation Stem
Leaf
W. c
W. c
W.c
Naked eye
Neutral*
Acidic*
Basic*
colourless
pale
blue
pale
blue
pale
blue
colourless
blue
blue
blue
colourless
pale
violet
pale
violet
pale
violet
colourless
blue
blue
blue
pale yellow
yellow
colourless
blue
colourless
blue
colourless
blue
*
observed
under
UV usr,t,
;;;;;;;ith;"",t"r
.
W.c :
Wed.el i q,
cal end,ul acea
-' -'
Y' *
E.q :
Ecliptd,
elba
acetic
acid and basified
*itt tri.tf,Eilil.-
228
AR,YAVAIDYAN
and stems of Ia.calendulacea and E.alba
'exhibited
considerable differences. Stri-
king similarities we(e observed in
cases of acetone extracts of roots of
W.calendulacea and E.alba. The UV
absorption values along
,
with corresp-
onding absorbances are listed in Table z.
fhe extracts were subjected to TtC
with various eluting solvent mixtures
to optimise the resoiution' of spots.
Petroleum ether extracs of root, stem
and leaf of W.calendulacea and E.alba
showed differences (Table g). A distinct
pale blue spot was observed in cases of
TABIJE-2
UV absorption values oI W. calend,ulaceo a,nd E. atba
Stem
Solvent
W.c W.c E. a
I
I
Petroieurn
ether
Ghlorofornr
Acetone
Ethanol
266*
(0.634)
287.5
(0.386)
325.5
(0.36e)
338.5
(0.352)
244
(0.?61)
250
(0.?5r)
256
(0.763)
327
(0.375)
326.5
(1.070)
341.5
(2.420'
246.8
(r.350)
346
(2.240)
326.5
(r.u0)
284
(0.503)
335
(0.488)
219.5
(0.852)
266
(0.0?9)
243
(0.441)
256,S
(0.40s)
414.5
(0.29?)
332.5
(0.302)
288
(r.084)
335.5
(r.053)
259.5
(0.164)
266.5
(0.r65)
35t
(0.3e3)
250
(0.r50)
256
(0.151)
360.5
(0.176)
346.5
(0.544)
43t
(0.123)
265
(0.226)
447
(0.2r2)
424
(0.17e)
242
(0.358)
4I 6
(0.824)
440
(0.s44)
342
(0.391)
364.8
(0.3e?)
431. 5
(0.?32)
455
(0.4se)
282
(0.763)
340
(0,472)
4S3.5
(0.364)
265
(0.474)
350.5
(0.4?9)
448.9
(0.522)
476
(0r45r)
244.3
(0.492)
4t 5. 5
(r.427)
439.5
(0.862)
346
(0.88r)
431.5
(1.03e)
445
(0.622)
283.5
(r.42t)
348
(1.285)
434
(0,61s)
295
(0.5e4)
332
(0.685)
282
(r.r34)
342
(0.842)
I Wavelengths are in nm
'
Figures in payaqtheses lndicate absorbance
AR,YAVAIDYAN
229
TLC paAerns of
TABIJE-3
extracts of W. calend,uld,ceeand E, alba
Root
.lt9.c
W.c W.c
Petroleum
ether
t 0
22
45
85
92
il
48
95
I4*
45
68
88
93
l 0
l 8
45
89
(pale biue)
93
il
48
79
(pale blue)
95
l 0
22
45
?3
(plae gray)
85
s2
b
Chloroforrn i o
'22
63
92
(pale blue)
6
t 7
30
60
96
l 0
22
63
93
8
t8
60
95
I
t8
60
85
(pale blue)
95
6
t 7
30
60
96
*
Rf (x 100); unless otherwise mentioned the colour of the spot is
purple
a :
eluted ln benzene/chloroform I : I
b :
eluted in chloroform
the root and stem extracts of E.alba.
It is diffioult to draw meaningful infere-
nces from TLC patterns of chlorofoim
extracts as many spots with identical
Rf values were observed. Poorresolutions
and streaking were noticed with acetone
and alcohol extracts.
Histological data, ash, mineral and
nitrogen values of W.calendulacea and
E.alba do not provide conclusive
evidences .to ascertain their identities.
However, TLC, UV
'absorption
and
fluorescence proporties of extractq pro-
vide sufficient guidelines fbr pharma-
cognosy of these plants,
Acknowledgem'ents:
Financial assistances provided by
the Ministry of Environment, Forests
and wild life, Government of lndia (y.
S.P. V.N.) and the AVR Educational
Foundation cif Ayurveda, Coimbatore
(D.S.K.) is gratefully acknowledged.
)'.
t:
REF'ERENCES
Chopra, R.N,, Nayar, S.[,, Chopra, I. C,
Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants, Council
of Scientiflc irnd Industrial Research. New
Del hi , p. 104, 258, 1956.
2. Dean,
f.
A, Flame Photometrv, McGrow
Hill Book Company, NewYork, p. 2gS, f960.
3. Govindachary, T.R and Premila M. S.
phv-
toehemietry, 24. 3068i 1985.
2BA
ARYAV..\IDYAN
4. Humphries E.C. In: Pisch, K and Tracy M.V. 8. Satyavati, G.V,, Raina, M.K. and Sharmq
(Eds.), Modern Methods of Plant Analysis, M. Medicinal Plants of India, Vol. I, Indian
1
Vol.I, Spri4ger Verlag, Heidelberg, Council of Mediceil Research, New Delhi,
' p, 468,
1956. p. 368, 1976.
5.
fohansen,
D.A. Plant Microtechnique, Mc-
Graw llill BooK Company, New York,
9'. Sharma, P.V. Dravyaguna Vijnan, Vol.II & III,
p.49, 1940.
Ch::klTl" Vidya Bhavan, Varanasi,
6. Pillai, T.V.S. Tamil-English Dictionary of
p' 103' lg56'
'
Med:icine, Ghemistry,
.
Botany and Allied
10. wallis, T.E. Text book of
pharmacognosy,
3:ff".::lY,ihlt:,,lT,l;j,$f.or
sidcrhar's
-
c+i.'iluii,r,li", N; ;"il;;lrriilges.
?.' Plummer, D'T. An Infroduction to Practical ll. Yogindranath, B. Rasachandrika Rajavaid-
. Biochemistry, McGraw Hill Book company, yam, Vidyarambham press and Book Depot,
. New York, p. 154, 1971. Kerala, p. lZ, lg.le.
O
I
If I had my life to live over again, I would have
made a rule to read some poetr),r and listen to some
music at least once a week, for perhaps that part
of my brain now atrophied would thus have been
kept active through use. The loss <if these tastes
is a loss
of
happiness, and may possibly be- injurious
to the intellect and^ more probably to the moral
character, by enfeebling the emotional part of our
nature.
-
CHARLES DARWIN
AR,YAVAIDYAN
'
231