Article: A HPTLC STUDY OF VATSANABHA AND SWASANANDAM GUTIKA TO EVALUATE THE ACONITINE CONTENT

Article Category: Original Research articles

DOI: 10.7897/2277-4343.110496

Pages: 93-98

Author: Sugeena P *, Tharalakshmi S

Abstract: The drug Vatsanabha (Aconitum ferox) is a toxic plant belonging to Ranunculaceae family containing many toxic alkaloids. Aconitine is one of the alkaloid presents in this drug. Vatsanabha is used therapeutically in Ayurveda after subjecting it to certain purification techniques known as shodhana. The toxicity allegations against Ayurvedic formulations containing Vatsanabha are a matter of concern nowadays. Hence it will be crucial to estimate the Aconitine content in Vatsanabha after shodhana procedure and the formulations containing it. Swasanandam gutika is a pill formulation containing Vatsanabha along with Hingula (Mercury Sulphide) and Karpura (Cinnamomum camphora). High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) is an advanced form of thin layer chromatography which is helpful in analyzing the natural products. In this study, the Aconitine content in Vatsanabha before and after shodhana and in Swasanandam gutika is analyzed by HPTLC. It was found that the Aconitine content in Vatsanabha was reduced after shodhana and was negligibly less to estimate in Swasanandam gutika.

Keyword: Vatsanabha, Aconitine, Sodhana, Swasanandam gutika, HPTLC