PHYSICO-CHEMICAL, CHROMATOGRAPHIC AND SPECTROSCOPIC EVALUATION OF ERUKKU (LEAVES, FLOWER AND LATEX)

*Anitha John, Reena V. L., Natarajan M., Selvarajan S. and Kanagarajan A.

ABSTRACT

Calotropis gigantea (L.) R. Br. Ex Ait. (Erukku). (Fam: Asclepiadaceae) is an important medicinal plant used in the Siddha System of Medicine. The leaf of the plant is used to treat skin ulcers, leprosy, intermittent fevers and eye problems. The medicinal use of the flower is reported as bile suppression, elimination of intestinal worms, coughs, colds and asthma and latex of the plant is used to treat dysentery, leprosy, elephantiasis, epilepsy, asthma. The latex of the plant is used as a violent purgative, gastrointestinal irritant and abortion inducer. It has also been used in the treatment of toothache, earache, headache, sprain and stiff joints. This study is aimed to standardize leaves, flowers and latex of C. gigantea. Different methods were used to authenticate these plant materials based on physicochemical, chromatographic and spectroscopic characteristics. The physico-chemical parameters like determination of loss on drying at 105°C, total ash, acid insoluble ash, water soluble extractives, alcohol soluble extractives and volatile oil were carried out by standard methods. The chloroform extracts of leaf, flower and latex of C. gigantea were subjected to HPTLC and Ultra Violet-Visible spectroscopic analysis. The physico-chemical parameters, HPTLC finger prints and the spectra obtained can be considered as unique for the chloroform extract of leaf, flower and latex of C. gigantea.

Keywords: Erukku, Calotropis gigantea, physico-chemical parameters, HPTLC profile, UV-Vis spectra.