Natural Product Sciences

The Korean Society of Pharmacognosy (한국생약학회)
권호 표지

Pharmacognostical Evaluation and Phytochemical Standardization of Abrus precatorius L. Seeds

  • Verma, Durgesh (Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacology Division National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR)) ;
  • Tiwari, Shashi Shankar (Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacology Division National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR)) ;
  • Srivastava, Sharad (Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacology Division National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR)) ;
  • Rawat, A.K.S. (Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacology Division National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR))
  • Received : 2011.02.01
  • Accepted : 2011.03.15
  • Published : 2011.03.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

The seeds of Abrus precatorius L. (Family- Fabaceae) constitute the drugs Abrus, Gunja, or Ratti in commerce. In the Indian System of Medicine, the seeds are used for sciatica, paralysis, headache, dysentery, diarrhoea, leprosy, ulcer, nervous disorders, alopecia, as well as anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antitumor, sexual stimulant and abortifacient. Seeds are poisonous and therefore are used after mitigation. The protein abrin is responsible for the highly toxic properties of seeds. Quantitative HPTLC analysis of the methanolic extract of seeds determined the presence of 0.4018% gallic acid and 0.4009% glycyrrhizin. The present study was undertaken to develop an HPTLC method, as well as ascertain the physico-chemical, morphological and histological parameters to establish the authenticity of A. precatorius seeds.

Keywords

References

  1. Adelowotan, O., Aibinu, I., Adenipekun, E., and Odugbemi, T., The invitro antimicrobial activity of Abrus precatorius L. Fabaceae extract on some clinical pathogens. Niger Postgrad Med J. 15(1), 32-37 (2008).
  2. Anonymous, Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, vol I. Department of Health, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi, pp. 152-165, 2004.
  3. Anonymous, Indian Pharmacopoeia, Govt. of India, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Controller of Publications, New Delhi, pp. 191, 2007.
  4. Anonymous, International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use: Harmonised Triplicate Guideline on Validation of Analytical Procedures: Methodology, Recommended for Adoption at Step 4 of the ICH Process by the ICH Steering Committee, IFPMA, Switzerland, 1996.
  5. Anonymous, Official methods of Analysis (AOAC), 4th edn. Association of Official Chemists, Inc. U.S.A., pp. 187-188, 1984.
  6. Anonymous, Quality control methods for medicinal plant materials, World Health Organization, Geneva, pp. 4-21, 1998.
  7. Anonymous, Wealth of India - A Dictionary of Indian Raw Materials and Industrial Products, vol. I, National Institute of Science Communication, CSIR, New Delhi, pp. 2-3, 1985.
  8. Asolkar, L.V., Kakkar, K.K., and Chakre, O.J. Second Supplement to Glossary of Indian Medicinal plants with Active principles, Part-I National Institute of Science Communication, CSIR, New Delhi, pp. 3-6, 2000.
  9. Bhutia, S.K., Mallick, S.K., Maiti, S., and Maiti, T.K., Antitumor and proapoptotic effect of Abrus agglutinin derived peptide in Dalton's lymphoma tumor model. Chemico-Biological Interactions. 174, 11-18 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbi.2008.04.043
  10. Chase, C.R. and Pratt, R.J., Fluorescence of powdered vegetable drugs with particular reference to development of a system of identification. J. Am. Pharm Assoc. 38, 324-333 (1949).
  11. Chopra, R.N., Chopra, I.C., Handa, K.L., and Kapur, L.D., Indigenous drugs of India, 2nd ed. U. N. Dhur and Sons Pvt. Ltd. Calcutta, pp. 260-262, 1958.
  12. Duke, A.K., Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, CRC Press Boca Raton London New York Washington, D.C., pp. 3-4, 2001.
  13. Esau, K., Anatomy of seed plants, John Wiley and Sons, New York, pp. 326-334, 1960.
  14. Ghosal, S. and Dutta, S.K., Alkaloids of Abrus precatorius. Phytochemistry. 10, 195-198 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)90270-X
  15. Hart, M., Jequirity bean Poisoning. N Engl J Med. 268, 885-886 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM196304182681608
  16. Hooker, J.D., The Flora of British India, vol.II, pp. 175, 1961.
  17. Issar, R.K. and Israili, A.H., Pharmacognostic studies on the Unani drug "Ghongchi-Safaid" (Abrus precatorius L. seed). JRIMYH. Vol. XIII, 4, 34-44 (1978).
  18. Johansen, D.A., Plant Microtechnique, 1st edn. MC Graw Hill Book Co. Inc., New York and London, pp. 15-93, 1940.
  19. Kirtikar, K.R. and Basu, B.D., Indian Medicinal Plants, vol. I, L.M. Basu Pub. Allahabad, pp. 764-765, 1933.
  20. Kokoski, J., Kokoski, R., and Slama, F.J., Fluorescence of powdered vegetable drugs under ultraviolet radiation. J. Amer. Pharmacol. Assoc. 47, 75 (1958).
  21. Ligha, Ae., Jaja, Bnr1. and Numbere, N.f., Protective Effect of Abrus precatorius Seed Extract following Alcohol Induced Renal Damage. European Journal of Scientific Research. 25, 428-436 (2009).
  22. Liyana-Pathiranan, C.M. and Shahidi, F., Antioxidant activity of commercial soft and hard wheat (Triticum aestivum) as affected by gastric pH conditions. Agr Food Chem 53, 2433-2444 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1021/jf049320i
  23. Monago, C.C. and Alumanah, E.O., Antidiabetic Effect of Chloroform- Methanol Extract of Abrus Precatorius Linn Seed in Alloxan Diabetic Rabbit. Journal of Applied Sciences & Environmental Management. 9, 85-88 (2005).
  24. Peach, K. and Tracy, M.V., Modern Methods of Plant Analysis. Vol III and IV Springer, Heidelberg, pp. 258-261, 1955.
  25. Singh, S., Pandey, P., and Kumar, S., Traditional knowledge on the medicinal plants of Ayurveda, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, pp. 290-296, 2000.
  26. Trease, G.E. and Evans, W.C., Pharmacognosy, 10th edn. Berilliee, Tindal, London, pp. 31-32, 2002.
  27. Wagner, H. and Bladt, S., A thin layer chromatography Atlas, Plant Drug Analysis, 2nd ed. Springer, pp. 305-314, 1996.