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Some
raw material manufacturers claim an active ingredient
level for some botanical extracts in excess of the amount
possible. Thus, the extracts they are selling may not
be pure or their products may not be properly standardized.
We take this opportunity to dispel commonly held myths
on some botanical products.
Sida cordifolia Linn. (Fam. Malvaceae)
is a small herb that grows throughout the tropical and
subtropical plains of India. It is beneficial for respiratory
health and valued for its antipyretic (reduces fever)
and thermogenic properties. S. cordifolia is a rich
source of alkaloids.1
The main portion of the alkaloids
has been identified as ephedrine.2
Ephedrine and y -ephedrine constitute the major compounds
in the aerial parts of S. cordifolia, while they occur
as minor components in the roots.1
Some manufacturers claim a
4%-8% ephedrine content for S. cordifolia extract.
This is not the case as discussed below.
Gunatilaka and coworkers3
determined the alkaloid content of S. cordiolia extracts
prepared from the leaves, stems, and roots of plants
from different localities in Sri Lanka. The following
results were obtained: S. cordifolia (Addalaichenai)
contained 0.63% alkaloids, S. cordifolia (Mahiyangana)
contained 0.42% alkaloids, S. cordifolia (Nochchiyagama)
contained 0.29% alkaloids, and S. cordifolia (Puttalam)
contained 1.18% alkaloids.
Sources:
- Ghosal, S. et al. (1975) Phytochemistry 14, 830-832.
- Chopra, R.N. (1982) Indigenous Drugs of India,
Academic Publishers.
- Gunatilaka, A. et al. (1980) Planta Medica 39,
66-72.
Sabinsa supplies a powdered extract of Sida cordifolia
standardized for an ephedrine content of not less than
0.8% and not more than 1.0%.
Emblica officinalis Gaertn (Syn. Phyllanthus emblica
Linn.) Fam. Euphorbiaceae, better known in Hindi as
Amla, is a deciduous tree native to India. In India,
Amla is a household medicinal plant. Amla’s fruits
possess rejuvenative properties. Thus, they are commonly
used as a tonic in the winter season in India.1
Amla’s rejuvenative properties have been attributed
to its fruits rich vitamin C content, however this is
not the case. Ghosal et al.2 conducted a chemical investigation
of Amla fruits. They made incisions on fresh fruits
(10 to 12) and collected the exudates. The fruit exudates
and aqueous-acetone (90%) extractives of the fresh pericarp
were analyzed. None of the extracts
showed the presence of L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
They contained low molecular weight, hydrolyzable tannins
such as, Emblicanin A, Emblicanin B, punigluconin and
pedunculagin. Emblicanin A showed similar track-movement
in high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC)
to that of ascorbic acid. Thus, Amla fruits rejuvenative
properties are due to the vitamin C-like activity of
the low molecular weight, hydrolyzable tannins, emblicanins
A and B.
Sources:
- Chemexcil (1992) Selected Medicinal Plants of India.
(A Monograph of Identity, Safety, and Clinical Usage).
Tata Press Ltd. pages 231-233.
- Ghosal, S. et al. (1996) Ind. J. Chem. 35B, 941-948.
Sabinsa supplies a powdered extract of Emblica officinalis
standardized for a minimum of 40% tannins. Amla powder
is also available.
Gugulipid®, a registered
trademark of Sabinsa Corporation, is the standardized
extract of the oleogum resin of Commiphora mukul, an
Indian medicinal plant. This resin is a mixture of diterpenes,
sterols (guggulsterols), sterones (guggulsterones),
esters, higher alcohols, and other steroidal compounds.
The active ingredients responsible
for the use of the plant in the maintenance of healthy
cholesterol levels, are the guggulsterones, specifically
guggulsterone E and guggulsterone Z.1
When purchasing guggul products, it is vital that the
extract be assessed for purity and appropriate standardization.
The Indian Pharmacopeia (IP) limits the maximum level
of guggulsterones (E and Z) to 4.0 to 6.0%2 in a soft
extract.
It is probable that powdered guggul products which
claim an active ingredient level in excess of 6.0% may
be crude and unpurified extracts. In clinical studies,
the administration of crude (unpurified) guggul caused
mild side effects such as skin rashes, diarrhea and
irregular menstruation.3 There
are no reports of these undesirable effects with a purified
and appropriately standardized extract.3,4
UV (ultraviolet) spectrophotometry5
and HPLC2 are the methods
used to estimate the guggulsterones content of C. mukul
extracts. UV analysis is a cumulative function which
involves measuring the optical density of a known concentration
at a particular wavelength. This means that all components
that have a UV absorption spectrum at the particular
wavelength will absorb UV light in proportion to their
amount in solution. Thus, UV will give a measurement
for the total amount of steroidal compounds (i.e. guggulsterones,
guggulsterols, etc.) present in C. mukul extracts, not
just the guggulsterones.5
In contrast, HPLC is a more accurate method by which
to analyze herbal extracts because each component is
quantitated separately.2 Thus,
HPLC differentiates and determines the concentration
of guggulsterones and guggulsterols separately.
Sources:
- All refs. listed in Gugulipid®:
Importance of Proper Analytical Methodology and the
10% Gugulipid Myth. by M. Majeed, L. Prakash, and
S. Natarajan. (This document may be obtained online
at www.sabinsa.com/products/gugul_paper.htm or by
contacting either Sabinsa office for a copy.)
Sabinsa Corporation supplies standardized extracts
of Gugulipid® (Commiphora
mukul- dry extract: min. 2.5% guggulsterones Z &
E and soft extract: min. 7.5% guggulsterones Z &
E). |
