A rapid HPTLC method to estimate piperine in Ayurvedic formulations

Alok K Hazra; Banti Chakraborty; Achintya Mitra; Tapas Kumar Sur

doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2017.07.006

A rapid HPTLC method to estimate piperine in Ayurvedic formulations

J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2019 Oct-Dec;10(4):248-254. doi: 10.1016/j.jaim.2017.07.006. Epub 2018 Oct 11.

Authors

Alok K Hazra¹, Banti Chakraborty¹, Achintya Mitra², Tapas Kumar Sur³

Affiliations

¹ Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, R.K.M.A Quality Testing Laboratory, Kolkata, 700103, India.
² National Research Institute of Ayurvedic Drug Development, CCRAS, Kolkata, 700091, India.
³ Department of Pharmacology, I.P.G.M.E & R, Kolkata, 700020, India. Electronic address: drtapaskumarsur@gmail.com.

Abstract

Background: Trikatu, Sitopaladi, Hingavastaka, Avipattikara, Sringyadi and Talisadya are very popular Ayurvedic (churna) medicines practiced in India; however, unfortunately, they possess several quality control issues.

Objective: The aim of this study was to find out a simple, accurate and sensitive HPTLC method for the detection and quantification of marker molecule, piperine (alkaloid) on these Ayurvedic formulations for standardization.

Materials and methods: Methanolic extraction (reflux) was performed from the above six churnas as well as three single ingredients Piper longum (pipul), Piper nigrum (marich) and Piper chaba (chai). HPTLC was done using piperine as a standard. The mobile phase was a mixture of toluene-ethyl acetate (7:3, v/v) and detection at 342λ.

Results: The R_f was detected at 0.39. Piperine was quantified in all samples. P. nigrum showed higher piperine than P. longum and P. chaba. The maximum piperine was noted in Hingavastaka churna and followed by Sringyadi churna, Sitopaladi churna, Talisadya churna, Trikatu churna and Avipattikara churna.

Conclusion: This method can be successfully employed for standardization and quantitative analysis of piperine in Ayurvedic formulations (churnas) and also be helpful to clinicians and pharmacists to draw significant role of piperine present in all these samples.

Keywords: Alkaloid; Ayurveda; HPTLC; Piper; Piperine.