Podophyllum: Sources, Macroscopical Characters and Uses (With

Diagram)
Synonyms: Indian Podophyllum, Podophyllum radix.
Biological source:
It consists of the dried rhizome and root of Podophyllum hexandrum Royle
(Podophyllum emodi). American podophyllum consists of dried rhizomes
and roots of P. peltatum.
Family:
Berbiridiaceae
Geographical source:
It is grow in forest of the Himalaya from Kashmir, Tibet, Afghanistan.
Collection:
The plant is perennial herb found at 2000 metres height. The drug is
collected both from wild and cultivated plants. Rhizomes of plants older
than two years are collected in autumn. Rhizomes are dug out and
washed well with water. They are dried at first in the sun and then by
placing on wire nets 3 ft. above the ground with fire below.
Macroscopical characters:
(i) General appearance: Drug contains either rhizomes or roots or both.
Internodes of the rhizomes are very short and developed very little. So the
rhizomes appear knotty and tortuous.
(ii) Size Length 3 to 8 cm; thickness 1 to 2 cm.
(iii) Shape Sub cylendrical, with irregular nodes, tortuous, dorsiventrally
flattened.
(iv) Surface On the upper surface of rhizome 3 to 4 circular depressed
stem- scars, on lateral surface buds or bud scars and on the under surface
numerous strong roots or root-scars are seen. Roots are 10 cm long, 3mm
(v) Thick, longitudinally wrinkled, nearly straight, curved or tortuous.
Roots detach easily and are therefore found separate in the drug.
(vi) Colour Earthy brown.
(vii) Fracture short, horny and starchy.
(viii) Fracture surface- Rhizomes contains 10 to 20 irregular vascular
bundles separated by medullary rays with resin seen as numerous small
glistering points.
(ix) Odour slight, characteristics.
(x) Taste Bitter, acrid.

Microscopical characters of podophyllum:

1. Epiblema:
Single layered, yellowish brown, cells of which are slightly projecting
outwards. Outer and radial walls thickened with suberin.
2. Exodermis:
Single layered immediately below Epiblema and with thin walled smaller
cells
3. Cortex:
18-22 layers of typical parenchymatous cells with wavy and pitted thick
walls having intercellular spaces. They are fully loaded with starch grains
but without any calcium oxalate crystals.
4. Endodermis:
Single layered and forms the innermost layer of cortical region. Cells are
elongated with very prominent casparian strips.
5. Vascular bundles:
Radial, alternate, groups vary from 4 to 9 and with exarches protoxylems.

Chemical constituents:
It contains Podophyllin resin is known as podophyllotoxin. and
peltatins are present only in the American podophyllum. It is also contains
Quercetin, kaempferol, asiragalin, essential oil. Podophyllin is a lignin
compound. Etoposide (4 -emethylepipodophyllotoxin ethylideneglucoside) is semi- synthetically processed and used in testicular and lung
cancer.

Chemical tests:
Macerate 0.5 g of the drug with 10 ml of alcohol and filter. To the filtrate,
add strong copper acetate solution (0.5ml), brown precipitate is produced.
Uses:
1. Podophyllum is used in the treatment of veneral and other warts.
2. It is also purgative, Cholagogue and bitter tonic.
Powder analysis of podophyllum:
1. Epiblema and Exodermis:
Abundant fragments of the outer layer of the roots in association with
Exodermis (wavy walls).
2. Wood elements:

Large number of vessels, either entire or fragments of the same showing

reticulate thickening
3. Sclereids:
In groups, uniformly thickened and rectangular in shape
4. Starch granules:
Abundant, simple (Spherical to ovoid) and compounds (3-8).
5. Parenchyma:
Parenchyma with fully loaded starch grains
6. Organoleptic characters:
(i) Colour: Light brown powder.
(ii) Odour: Slight
(iii) Taste: Bitter

Isolation of Podophyllotoxin:
The dried drugs are powered by mechanical grinder and extracted with
alcohol (90%) using Soxhlet apparatus for 6 hrs. Alcohol is removed by
distillation and evaporates the extract to produce syrup consistency. Pour
into it, stirring continuously, a mixture of water containing hydrochloric
acid, cooled below 5C. Allow the mixture to stand for 2 hrs. below 5C
and filter under vacuum. Wash the residue with acidified water cooled
below 5C. Dissolve the residue in sufficient quantity of hot alcohol (90%)
filter and evaporate the alcohol off the filtrate and dry the residue to
constant weight at 80C