| name | rhubarb | Liquorice | valeriana | Senega root | Gentian | Rhatany (Krameria) | Aconite | veratrum | Ipeca | ||
| dried rhizome and big roots of Rheum palmatum and R.officinale except R.raponticum | dried peeled or unpeeled root and rhizome of Glycyrrhiza glabra | carefully dried rhizome , stolon and roots of valerina officinalis known as european valerian or V.wulchii known as indian valerian | dried root of polygala senega | dried fermented root and rhizome of Gentiana lutea (fermented =slow drying) | dried roots of Krameria triandra | dried tuberous root of Aconitum napellus | it is rhizome of Veratrum album | dried root and rhizome of Cephaelis ipecacuanha known as Rio or Brazilian ipecacuanha and C.acuminata known as Caragena ,nicaragua or Panama | |||
| family | polygonaceae | Fabaceae | valerianaceae | polygalaceae | gentianacea | Krameriaceae (Fabaceae) | Ranunculaceae | liliaceae | Rubiaceae | ||
| geo. Source | china (west and tibet) and now in india and pakistan | south west of europe and central Asia | Europe and india | USA ,canada ,cultivated in japan | central europe in France and Germany | latin America eg Peru ,Bolivian | central and southern part of Europe | central and southern part of Europe | Brazil and central america | ||
| act. Const. | 1-anthraquinone glycosides 2-tannins 3-flavonoids | saponin glycosides mainly glycyrrhizin 2-more than 30 flavonoid and iso-flavonoids (it is not true glycosides "pseudo" as it on hyd give glucoronic a not bitter , gly: is naturally occuring organic cps ,crystalline in nature contain sugar part &non sugar part | v.o mainly isobronyl acetate ,isovalerinate and contain 2 alkloids : valeridine and catalynine | saponins 2 types of triterpene glycosides (sengin 1 ,singin 2) 2-sugars responsible for seet taste | 1-Seco-iridoid substances including gentiopicroside (gentiopicricin), 2-Xanthone derivatives (gentisin ,isogentisin ,gentioside ) 3-sugars sucrose 4-bitter principal | 1- catechol tannins ( high % ) 2-on prolonged storage tannin % decrease due to oxidation of krameria tannic acid to phlobaphenes (so drug lose its medicinal value as it is toxic inactive colouring matter | alkloids aconitine ,picraconitine and aconine | alkloids (the mostimportant and toxic one is protoveratrine 2-caox 3- starch 4-resins | alkloids (emetine and cephaline ,and methyl psychotrine) +saponins of Ipeca | ||
| colour | reddish brown | peeled is pale yellow | ou. Surface is brown | scaly leaves reddish brown in colour | brown after dried due to glucosides become aglycone (Xanthone) + free sugar (internal :whitich in colour) | reddish brown | dark brown | reddish brown | |||
| odour | charact., faintly smoky | faint | disagreeable odour | charact. Rancid disagreeable odour | of dried is :pleasant odour | odourless | odourless | chracteristic sternutatory if fine pw | |||
| taste | bitter , slightly astraingent | very sweetish | sweat ,then become camphoraceous and pungent (due to enzymes) | sweetish at 1st due to free sugars then :disagrreable acrid somewhat pungent due to saponins (not give taste except after hydrolysis of saponins) | sweet due to sugars then bitter in taste due to aglycone and bitter principal | strong astraingent (due to tannins) | bitter in taste (alk) aconitine followed by numbness (aconitine) | bitter acrid taste (alkloids) | acrid taste (due to saponin) bitter due to alkloid | ||
| uses | due to content of anthraq. And tannins ,depend on dose 1-laxative (1-2g) 2-astraingent and bitter stomachic (0.1-0.2g) {{N.B : it is powerful colonic laxative and it irritate mucous memb. And I in secretion of mucous thus stimulate peristalsisand it inhibits reabsorption of water and electrolytes so ,loss of k ion and Na removed through water loss causing paralysis of intestinal muscles | 1-demulsent drink 2-flavonoid in internal of the root (so it is canary yellow colour) used as treat of capillary fragility 3-expectorant | 1-sedative ,carminative and (not initiate sleep but prolong sleep time | 1-expectorant 2-bronchial asthma (Bronchitis) | 1-strong bitter stimulating the appetite 2-tonic (promote reflux of saliva and gastric juice) | very astraingent (*tannin) in short period ,internally as diarrhea and externally as leg sores (causion ":long storage) 2-for skin diseases | was used internally in fever and pains .. Antipuretic effect .. As it is very potent (toxic ) so now used in skin diseases | 1-emetic ,purgative internally (but it is toxic) 2-so now used externally in treat. Of skin diseases and as insecticide | in amoebic dysentry (Entamoeba histolytica ) due to alkloids | ||
| test | 1-micro-sublimation give yellow needle-shape disslove with KoH with red colour 2-test for anthraquinone derivatives :boil powder with alc KoH in t.t ,filter ,acidify filterate with dil HCl ,cool ,shake with ether ,take etherial layer in t.t ,shake with dil ammonia soln =blood red colour | 1-powder +66%H2So4= orange red colour 2-shake with water =froth formed (saponin) 3-with alc KoH =yellow colour (flavonoid) 4-test for sugars : boil 1g of powder with water for 10 min , filter ,mix filterate with 5ML of Fehlig's soln and warm =red ppt formed of cuo | 1-saponin give permenant froth with water ,2-ext. senega in ether then with acidulated ether with dil HCl mix 2 extracts and divide into 2 portions : 1st +FeCl3 =reddish violet colour ,, 2nd evaporated , weigh the residue and dissolve in chloroform + 1 cc of H2SO4 =red brown ring as it contain sugars colour and after 24 hrs =green fluorescence | A-test for identity : microsublimation give yellow crystals insol in water, alc ,ether but sol in chloral hydrate and in KOH give yellow no red soln (diff from rumex) B-test for purity : powder contains no sclerids or fibers and no starch gr. | 1-micro-sublimation : gives colorless droplets > solidification > with FeCl3 =red colour 2-powder /alc maceration for 12 hrs > shake > filter and take the filterate ,add alc ,lead acetate dropwise till no ppt formed > filter : both residue & filterate have red colour 3- on diluting the tincture with water ,it becomes cloudy (distinction from para Rhatany) | digest powder with Hcl and water then filter > filterate +few crystals of pot. Chlorate >yellowish >orange >red colour with green fluorscence | |||||
| notes | rhubarb should not be used in long term therapy since it disrubs water and electrolyte balance (not taken during pregnancy or intestinal obstruction or lactation )(why?) | saponin is corticosteroid (glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetin ,large doses taken over prolonged time lead to hypokalaemia ,hypertention ,cardiac disorders ,oedema and hypernatremia (I Na & excretion of K) the problem disappear after stop course fof few days | fermentation (drying ) is used as plant contain glycosides "3-4 sugars" upon drying >partial hydrolosis > give sweet taste which mask the bitter taste of the drug extract | ||||||||
| collection | ,,, | dug up in autumn and carefully dried (artifitial temp not more than 40c due to v.o) large rhizome sliced into pieces | in autumn ,washing ,slow drying (fermentation) most major const in root while drug selled in market contain parts of Rh | dug up roots in autumn ,washing ,drying , | in autumn (parent + daughter ) or spring (parent only) ,, | ,,,,,, | |||||
| special characters | star spot in pith region 2-ideoblasts of large clusters (jiant) of caox. | pseudocrystal sheath | devoid of all forms of caox | *complete absence of caox *complete absence of starch gr ,*complete absence of fibers ** 2-abnormal forms : :normal form of med ray in root is distinct ,slightly lig ,1-one raw of med rays( abnormal give V shaped structure ) 2-ph tissue form abnormal ,grow of ph to form (keel) | free of starch or very rare .,no fibers or sclerids | both ph and xy are fibrous ,outer part of root is narrow ph ,central part is xy. (high no of xy vessels ,small amount of vessels ,parench ) | *cork cells abscent and replaced by metaderm form outer most layer of cortex (elongated cells ,polygonal ) *toxic plants *contain alkloids *both in north & south Europe (((it is characterized by 1-absence of all forms of fibers 2-absence of all forms of caox 3-abscence of fibers))) | *cork cells abscent and replaced by metaderm form outer most layer of cortex (elongated cells ,polygonal ) *toxic plants *contain alkloids *both in north & south Europe | *no typical vessels or very few *parench contain raphites of caox *Muller-shaped starch *substituted fiber as it contain starch granules | ||
| macro character | rectangular pieces | cylindrical pieces , has fibrous texture (splintery) ,unpeeled is dark brown , longitudinally wrinkled or may be scaly bearing occasionally buds in rhizome and scars in roots | ovoid sylindrical and covered by long. Wrincles ,,fructure is short | have some scally leaves (reddish colour) (devoid of chlorophyll .protect axillary buds) | sylindrical pieces,internal of root & Rh is whitich in colour ,root : longitudinal wrinkles Rh : transverse wrinckles it contain scars & buds and covered by scaly leaf,,it is tough as it contain pectins (absorb humidity from atm.) | entire ,subsylindrical or fusiform , no wrinkles differenciate bet other varieties of Rhatany | wrinkles (drying) daughter is smaller than parent , and has no areial shoot but attached to parent ,parent root contain scars of daughter | sylindrical or sub sylindrical , its apex nearly acute and base is rounded or blunt ,on its outer surface (wrinkles) due to drying | Rio or Brazilian type is cylindrical and is annulated and it is reddish brown in colour ,, Cartagena :annulations completely abscent but contain transverse ridges and it is larger | ||
| micro characters | as see in t.s , star spot in pith region is abnormal V.B consists of dark reddish brown med. Rays radiating through central grayish white ph with collapsed sieve tubes and continue to peripheral xy and xy consist of wide non lig reticulate vessels (star spot is additional v.b formed at innermost layer of xy parench or outermost layer of central pith parench so it is formed on periphery of xy elements & pith elements from additional cambium 2-jiant cluster crystal is distributer in all layers 3-xy elemens are parench and vessels (no xy fiber or ph fiber) 4-starch are normal | all layers as in t.s 1-ph fiber :very long ,very narrow lumen ,strongly thickened (cellulose in the inner part slight lig in outer part surrounded by psedo C.SH 2-xy fiber more lig and surrounded by c.SH | epi: polygonal tab. Cells recangular ,in Rh cork cells few layers of rect. Tab. Cells contain droplets of v.o thick walled lig some of these cells are subirized but in root hypo (exodermis) is instead of cork and contain droplets of v.o (wide cortex ,narrow pith in root unlike Rh) ,cortex :parench contain stach g ,narrow ,,endodermis :in Rh :1 raw of cells &it contains droplets of v.o (and not contain v.o in root) to innermost layer is pericycle parench cells (starch) pith also is parench and filled with starch and few gp. of scleirids very thick walled and pitted ,very narrow lumen and not present in root*all parench cells contain starch g ,,ph ,xy | 1-cork layer :thin not lig 2-cortex : parench with no starch 3--endodermis :4-ph ,xy ,V shaped M.R rarely more than one raw 5-no central pith scaly leaf : upper ,lower epi : not differenciated into palisade and spongy tissue (but G.T) scattered small V.B , epi: striated ,sinous walls with anomo. St from this cells arise unicellular hairs with blunt apex ,wall of hair is striated ,,, fusiform tracheid ,no fibers ,starch ,caox ,elements of xy are lig | cork ,cortex in Rh or phelloderm in root:collapsed cells ,distinct camb separates bet xy ,ph ,, in root on pith and present in Rh ,ph consists of ph parench + scattered sieve tubes xy: parench + scattered xy vessels and in the xy region interxylary ph (small parench cells + sieve t.) ,in all parench of phelloderm ,cortex ,ph ,xy ,pith contain acicular crystals of caox + minute droplets of oil. , complete absence of fibers & scl ,starch | 1-cork :thin walled ,non lig ,contain reddish brown content (Krameria tannic acid ) 2-phelloderm : parench .thick walle ,non lig , 3-major part :2ry ph (parench ,fibers ,very few sieve tubes) 3-camb :more than one cell thick walled suberized 4-major part :wood (fibrous ) in the center (xy fiber is thick walled ,lig ,with cleft-like pits ,,, ph fiber is thick wall ,non lig ,without pits ,and with wide lumen ),,, both ph & xy traversed by uniseriate med rays ,,,parench of ph ,xy ,phelloderm contain prismatic crystals of caox & starch ,,,catechol tannin stored in bark region (parench of ph ,phelloderm ,cork cells) so the center of root is lighter in colour | cork cells are abscent and replaced by metaderm :originates from outer most layer of cortex (its shape bet polygonal as cortex and tabular as cork) ,cortex : narrow parench ,filled with starch g show occasional gps of sclerids (isodiametric , thick walled ,lig ,lumen is wide ,show slight pits) endodermis :separate bet cortex (1ry outer) and pericycle (2ry cortex inner) and contain starch and occasional gps of scleirds *wide 2ry ph (parench) ,*xy vessels *ph parench is more larger than cortical one and pith parench : largest parench show wide intercellular spaces ,lig elements are very few (sieve tissue of ph,minute xy vessels ,sclerids) complete abscence of all forms of fibers Abnormalities :cambium is stellate form give on apeces (5-8) inside it 1ry xy and on arch 2ry xy so :it gives on growingmore ph 1/3 t.s , in to inside and less xy to outside | cortex: parench filled with acicular needles of caox (not present in aconite)*minute starch g ( but in aconite large amount) ,, endodermal layer : brown , G.t : parench filled with acicular needle crystals of caox and minute starch and also contain small V.B consists of xy vessel surrounded by sieve tubes of ph | cork and cork cambium then phelloderm :parench contain ideoblast contain raphites of caox (but no mucilage) ,stele :central zone of xy large amount of tracheids ,no xy vessels or very few spiral 1ry vessels and annular 2ry . Fibers of moderate wall ,ph :parench and collapsed sieve tubes and fibers .,all parench in T.S completely packed with starch with Muller-shaped shape ,and stiations are completely absent (in Rio :10M and in Cartagena 15M) ,,fibers contain starch g (substituted fiber) ,sclerids contain nodules of Lignin material | ||
| t.s | |||||||||||
| powder | 1-frag of caox cluster crystals (jiant) 2-reticulate xy parench 3-starch gr. 4-frag of cortex contain starch gr or caox clusters | 1-freg of fibe rs accompanied by crystal sheath. 2-xy vessels 3-cork cells 4-prisms of caox 5-starch granules 6-occasional cell contain prismatic caox | devoid of all forms of caox 2-contain 2 types of scleids one from Rh and other from remains of stem (lig ,but not thick wall and showing pits ,lumen is very wide 3-epi cells with root hair 4-starch g | 1-cork 2-tracheids 3-very few vessels 4-oily globules 5-finger-shaped non gl trichome with long ,thickened apex | parench of phelloderm ,cortex ,ph ,xy ,pith contain acicular crystals of caox + minute droplets of oil. , complete absence of fibers & scl ,starch 2-cork cells 3-xy vessels | 1-fibers of xy & ph .2- parench (xy ,ph ,phelloderm ) contain starch and prismatic crystals of caox and starch ,, 3-masses of phlobaphenes if drug is stored | 1-sclerids :isodiametric ,thick walled ,pitted ,*parench cells filled with starch *absence of cork cells and fibers | light brown in colour ,parench with acicular needles of caox ,xy vesslels | layers in T.s | ||
| adelterants | R.rhaponticum contain smaller amount of anthracene derivatives contain stilbene derivatives (rhaponticin =rhapotiside) toxic and there are 2 tests for identity : 1-uv light: reddish brown flourescence but no shining bluish violet 2-furfural test :on slide place 2-3 drops of furfural R 10% in alc 90% and 3 drops of H2So4 then sprinkle little powder , observe under microscope no violet colour (if raponticum present violet or pink colour appear) | no adulterants | indian variety contain more v.o ,more camph. Odour ,more pungent taste (diff bet species by amount of v.o) | 1-white senega :roots of P.alba =absence of abnormal growth of ph (no keel) 2-indian senega (P.glininsis) as genuine but more act const than american vareity. | identify adulteration by presence of starch ,can not detect it microscopically , adulteration by rumex can be recognized on micro-sublimation :the sublimate is coloured red with KOH | para -rhatany (wrinkels) | 1-black Ipeca root 2-Ipecacuanha stem 3-white Ipeca and other adulterants | ||||