RP-HPLC-DAD method for the estimation of embelin as marker in Embelia ribes and its polyherbal formulations.

Evidence-based herbal products with assured quality are assuming importance for complementary and alternative medicine. Traditional medicines by and large are not standardized and validated to meet the new requirements. In the present study, marker (embelin)-based standardization of a major medicinal plant, Embelia ribes and its polyherbal formulations was attempted. Conditions for the quantitative extraction of the marker compound embelin from E. ribes fruits and herbal formulations were also optimized. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, coupled with diode array detection (RP-HPLC-DAD) for the quantification of embelin was developed and validated. Satisfactory results were obtained with respect to linearity (15-250 µg/mL), LOD (3.97 µg/mL), LOQ (13.2 µg/mL), recovery (99.4-103.8%) and precision (1.43-2.87%). The applicability of the method was demonstrated with selected phytopharmaceuticals. The present method was sensitive, accurate, simple and reproducible and therefore can be recommended for marker-based standardization, and quality assurance of E. ribes herbal formulations.

Semi-preparative HPLC preparation and HPTLC quantification of tetrahydroamentoflavone as marker in Semecarpus anacardium and its polyherbal formulations.

Application of modern scientific knowledge coupled with sensitive analytical technique is important for the quality evaluation and standardization of polyherbal formulations. Semecarpus anacardium, an important medicinal plant with wide medicinal properties, is frequently used in a large number of traditional herbal preparations. Tetrahydroamentoflavone (THA), a major bioactive biflavonoid was selected as a chemical marker of S. anacardium and RP-semi-preparative HPLC conditions were optimized for the isolation of tetrahydroamentoflavone. HPTLC analytical method was developed for the fingerprinting of S. anacardium flavonoids and quantification of tetrahydroamentoflavone. The method was validated in terms of their linearity, LOD, LOQ, precision and accuracy and compared with RP-HPLC-DAD method. The methods were demonstrated for the chemical fingerprinting of S. anacardium plant parts and some commercial polyherbal formulations and the amount of tetrahydroamentoflavone was quantified. HPTLC analysis showed that S. anacardium seed contained approximately 10 g kg(-1) of tetrahydroamentoflavone. The methods were able to identify and quantify tetrahydroamentoflavone from complex mixtures of phytochemicals and could be extended to the marker-based standardization of polyherbal formulations, containing S. anacardium.