Development of Physico-chemical Parameters for Indigenous Drug, Bharangi: Clerodendrum serratum and Premna herbacea

Objective: To develop physico-chemical parameters for indigenous drugs Clerodendrum serratum and Premna herbacea commonly known as Bharangi. Materials and Methods: Roots of C. serratum and P. herbacea were studied for macro and microscopical characters. HPTLC method was developed to generate fingerprint profiles for the two ischolar_mains and to quantify β-sitosterol (in P. herbacea ischolar_main) using n-hexane: ethyl formate (7:3) as aβ mobile phase, precoated TLC plates (silica gel 60 F₂₅₄) as a stationary phase and H₂SO₂ as derivatizing agent. Further, presence of sugar, D-mannitol in Clerodendrum serratum was confirmed with the use of paper chromatography. Results: Roots of C. serratum are hard, woody, tortuous, earthy brown and bear ischolar_mainlets. Stratified cork, cortex, phloem and wood, all filled with starch are characteristic features of transverse section of C. serratum ischolar_main. Roots of P. herbacea are brown or earthy brown, woody, shows swollen nodes and exfoliated surface exposing the inner orange colored tissue. T.S. of the ischolar_main shows cork with yellowish orange content, cortex constituted of collenchymatous parenchyma, phloem and wood portion. Presence of starch grains and stone cells in powdered ischolar_main of C. serratum differentiate it from that of P. herbacea. β-sitosterol (0.012% w/w) was found to be present in the ischolar_main P. herbacea only. Sugar D-mannitol was present in Clerodendrum serratum only. Conclusion: The present study provides the first report regarding comparative study and identification parameters for C. serratum and P. herbacea. Further, we report presence of β-sitosterol in P. herbacea ischolar_main and HPTLC method to develop distinct chemo-profile for both the ischolar_mains.