Quantitative reckoning of embelin from fruits of Embelia tsjeriam- cottam using water bath process as an alternate method of extraction

Abstract

The world is culturally endowed with various forms of healing practices having rich medical wisdom of immense importance. One of such pharmacognostically indispensable medicinal plant is Embelia tsjeriam-cottam A. DC. The active principle of E. tsjeriam-cottam is embelin, possessing a range of pharmacognostic activities including anti-cancer, antioxidant, antiinflammation, antibacterial and analgesic effects. Embelin in fruits of E tsjeriam-cottam was extracted using water bath method. For extraction of embelin from fruits of E. tsjeriamcottam, methanol and chloroform were used as solvents. Fruits were collected from five different agro-climatic zones of Odisha. Comparative estimation of embelin was done through spectrophotometer and High Performance Liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) methods. Samples extracted with chloroform and methanol showed embelin content in a range of 2.13- 0.29% dry wt., and 0.95-0.28% dry wt. respectively using spectrophotometer. In case of HPLC analysis, samples extracted in chloroform and methanol showed embelin content in a range of 1.86-0.27% dry wt., and 0.875-0.26% dry wt. respectively. However the water bath method, used as alternative method for extraction, proved to be less time consuming, costeffective in extracting a pretty good amount of embelin as compared to the conventional (soxhlet) methods of extraction.