Physicochemical and Phyto-chemical Standardization of a Unani Drug Banafshah (Viola odorata Linn.)
*Sumbul Rehman and Abdul Latif
Hippocratic Journal of Unani Medicine
Hippocratic Journal of Unani Medicine April - June 2015, Vol. 10 No. 3, Pages 97-108
सार
In view of the growing demand of Ayurvedic and Unani drugs in domestic and global market, there is a need to ensure their quality, efficacy and safety through scientitific evaluation and laying down pharmacopoeial standards. In the present work, Banafshah (Viola odorata L.) has been standardized for its physico-chemical and phyto-chemical parameters as per WHO pharmacopoieal guidelines. The parameters evaluated includes: ash values: total ash, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash, sulphated ash; moisture content, loss on drying; pH value at 1% solution and at 10% aqueous solution; melting range; solubility: water soluble extractive and alcohol soluble extractive; bulk density; crude fibre content and total alkaloid content. On phytochemical analysis it was found that Banafshah contains alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols and proteins. Besides this, determination of organoleptic characters of powder drug, extractive values in different organic solvents using soxhlet extractor, thin layer chromatography and fluorescence analysis of successive extracts of powder drug had been done. The study will help in laying down pharmacopoeial standards to determine the quality and purity of Unani drug Viola odorata Linn. for wider use in the manufacture of genuine herbal medicines.