Pharmacognostical Study and Development of Quality Control Parameters for Sarcostemma brevistigma Wight & Arn.

Objective: To develop pharmacognostical and quality control parameters for drug Sarcostemma brevistigma Wight and Arn. (Family: Asclepiadaceae) commonly known as Somlata, is rasayana drug. Materials and Methods: Stems of S. brevistigma were collected from Jamnagar, Dwarka and Bhuj in the month of November 2008 and studied for macroscopical and microscopical characters. Quantitative microscopy and physico-chemical parameters were also performed. A pregnane derivative mono-O-acetyl bregenin was isolated from stem extract and characterized by U.V., IR, NMR, Mass spectroscopy. HPTLC method was developed to quantify mono-O-acetyl bregenin and generate fingerprint profile for the drug. HPTLC was performed using precoated TLC plate (silica gel 60 F₂₅₄) as a stationary phase and Chloroform : Methanol (9.4 : 0.6) as a mobile phase. The plate was scanned at 366nm. Results: Macroscopically and microscopically all the samples of stems were found to be similar but differed in quantitative parameters. Stems were green, cylindrical in shape having longitudinal ridges and nodes. T.S. of stems showed papillose epidermis, rosettes of calcium oxalate, non lignified fibres and latex cavities in cortex, striated cells of inner cortex and perimedullary phloem. Stone cells and abundant rosettes of calcium oxalate were found in section passing through the node. Powder showed stone cells, rosettes, fragments of pitted xylem vessels and non lignified fibres. Mono-O-acetyl bregenin was isolated by column chromatography. HPTLC chromatogram was developed and blue fluorescent spot was visualised at R_f 0.5 under UV at 366nm. Mono-O-acetyl bregenin content was found to be 0.0339% w/w, 0.0399% w/w, 0.0227% w/w in samples collected from Jamnagar, Dwarka and Bhuj respectively.