Botanical Drugs: Extracts and Agar-Agar

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Questions and Answers

Which raw materials are used to produce gelatin?

Skin, bones, and tendons (correct)

Hooves and horns

Fruits and vegetables

Milk and eggs

What is NOT a method for obtaining juices from plants?

Drainage of cut organs

Incision

Expression

Filtration (correct)

What is an essential characteristic of gelatin?

It is insoluble in cold water

It forms a solid mass at room temperature

It has a strong flavor

It is odorless and tasteless (correct)

Which of the following statements about the amino acids in gelatin is true?

Essential amino acids are present in traces Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a pharmaceutical use of gelatin?

In the production of hard and soft capsules Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary plant product from which Aloe gel is derived?

Dried juice Signup and view all the answers

What temperature range is used in the drying process of gelatin?

30 to 60 ºC Signup and view all the answers

Which method is used to decalcify bones in the gelatin production process?

Treatment with acid Signup and view all the answers

What is Aloe Dried Juice primarily obtained from?

The juice from cut leaves Signup and view all the answers

Which test produces a green fluorescence when Borax is added to the aloe filtrate?

Borax Test Signup and view all the answers

Which Aloe species does not produce any color in the Cupraloin Test?

Zanzibar Aloe Signup and view all the answers

What is a common use of Aloe Dried Juice?

As a stimulant purgative Signup and view all the answers

What main components is Aloe Gel primarily composed of?

Water and polysaccharides Signup and view all the answers

What method is used for collecting Aloe Gel?

Removing the outer layers of the leaf to access the inner gel Signup and view all the answers

Which chemical constituents are present in Aloe Dried Juice?

Anthracene derivatives and glycosides Signup and view all the answers

What is recommended to be used with aloes to avoid griping effects when taken as a purgative?

A carminative drug Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of agarose in agar?

To contribute to the gel strength Signup and view all the answers

What process is involved in the preparation of agar?

Evaporating aqueous decoction of seaweed Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding the solubility of agar?

It swells in cold water and forms jelly with hot water. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following tests would indicate the presence of sulphates in agar?

Addition of BaCl2 to solution resulting in white precipitate Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of agar in pharmaceutical and food industries?

As a thickening and emulsifying agent Signup and view all the answers

What is the nature of the polysaccharide composition of agar?

A mixture of agarose and agaropectin Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary method for extracting agar from the seaweeds?

Boiling with faintly acidulated water Signup and view all the answers

Which property of agar is affected by agaropectin?

Viscosity of the solution Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Unorganized Drugs

Extracts are a group of drugs made by evaporating the aqueous decoction of plant parts.

Extracts

Extracts are a group of drugs prepared by evaporating the aqueous decoction of specific plant parts.

Agar-Agar (Japanese Isinglass)

Definition: Dried colloidal substance obtained by evaporating the aqueous decoction of bleached and dried red algae (mainly Gelidium species and Gracelaria species).
Collection and Preparation: Seaweeds are collected, dried, cleaned of sand and shells, and bleached by the sun. They're then boiled in mildly acidic water (approximately 50 times their weight) for 5-6 hours. The decoction is filtered, cooled, and shaped into jelly in wooden boxes. The jelly is cut into bars and dried in ovens at 35°C.
Physical Characteristics:
- Color: Yellowish white.
- Odor: Odorless
- Taste: Mucilaginous (pure) or salty (impure).
- Solubility: Absorbs cold water, and forms jelly when treated with hot water and cooled.
- Shape: Two forms—translucent yellowish-white strips or coarse powder/flakes.
Constituents:
- Agarose: A neutral galactose polymer (alternating residues of 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose and D-galactose, free of sulphate). Responsible for the gel strength of agar.
- Agaropectin: A polysaccharide composed of galactose and uronic acid units, partly esterified with sulphuric acid. It doesn't form a gel but affects the solution's viscosity.
Chemical tests:
- Positive Molisch's test
- Boil with dilute hydrochloric acid and filter; test the filtrate
  - Fehling's reduction test
  - Solution + BaCl2 (positive for sulfate)
- On powder
  - Powder + N/50 12 = Crimson red color
  - Powder + Ruthenium Red = Pink color
Uses:
- Suspending, thickening, and emulsifying agent in pharmacy and food industry
- Nutrient medium in bacteriological cultures
- Treatment of chronic constipation as a bulk laxative
- Electrophoretic separation of globulin
- Stationary phase in gel chromatography

Gelatin

Definition: Soluble protein produced by partial hydrolysis of insoluble collagenous by-products (such as skin, bones, and tendons) of the meat industry (from cattle and sheep). It's not prepared from hooves or horns.
Preparation:
- Bones: Grounded, defatted with benzene, decalcified with acid, and washed with water.
- Skins and Tendons: Treated with dilute milk of lime (Ca(OH)2) for 20-30 days to remove fats, meat, and chondroprotein. The treated parts are washed and boiled under reduced pressure.
- The resulting solution is further evaporated under reduced pressure until the concentration reaches 45% gelatin, poured into flat trays to form a jelly, removed and transferred to trays, and dried gradually at different temperatures (30°, 40°, 50°, and 60°C) over approximately one month.
Physical Characteristics: Colorless, odorless, tasteless sheets that dissolve in hot water, and swell in cold water.
Constituents:
- Protein: Called glutin.
- Amino acids: Contains 19 amino acids.
- Nutrient value: Lower than other sources, as essential amino acids are present in traces.
Chemical Tests:
- Powder + soda lime = Ammonia odor
- Solution + Millon's Reagent = White ppt. - Brick red
- Solution + Picric acid = Yellow ppt.
- Solution + Tannic acid = White ppt.
Uses:
- Pharmaceutical: Suppositories, hard/soft gelatin capsules, suspending/stabilizing/thickening agent. Especially purified and pyrogen-free gelatins are used as vehicles for intravenous injections.
- Bacteriological: Culture media.
- Medicinal: Plasma substitute and protective drug for the stomach.
- Food industry: Jelly production

Juices

Definition: Fluid plant saps composed of aqueous liquid containing dissolved substances. Often found within plant cells or cavities.
Extraction: Obtained from plants through incision, drainage of cut organs, or expression.
Post collection: Dried through evaporation of water content.

Aloes

Definition: Dried juice from cut leaves of various Aloe species (e.g., Cape Aloes, Curaçao Aloes, Socotrine/Zanzibar Aloes). Part of the Liliaceae family.
Collection and Preparation: Aloe juice is extracted from the pericycle cells beneath the epidermis.
Constituents: Contain various anthracene derivatives (either free or glycosides). Specific examples of Aloe glycosides and aglycones are also provided as chemical structures.
Chemical Tests:
- General Tests: Boil 1 g of powdered aloe with 20-25 mL water for 3 minutes; cool, shake with kieselguhr (filter aid); filter. Test the filtrate.
  - Borax Test: Add 0.5 g Borax to 5 mL of the filtrate and heat. A green fluorescence is produced with all kinds of aloes.
- Modified Borntrager's Test: 5 mL filtrate + 10 mL ferric chloride + 5 mL dilute HCL, heat for 10 min, filter, cool, extract with organic solvent (benzene or chloroform). Separate the organic layer, shake with dilute ammonia. Rose red color in the aqueous layer.
- Specific Test (Cupraloin): Dilute 2 ml filtrate with 5 ml water, add 1 drop of copper sulfate solution and warm, add 0.5 ml saturated sodium chloride plus 1 ml alcohol (90%). Results differ depending upon the type of aloe.
Uses:
- Stimulant purgative that improves digestion, but not a carminative drug. Used in conjunction with a carminative drug to avoid griping effects.
- Antimicrobial and antiviral.
- Fresh juice can heal burns.

Aloe Gel

Definition: Colorless, mucilaginous gel obtained from the parenchyma cells in the fresh leaves of Aloe barbadensis (Liliaceae).
Preparation: Obtained from the inner portion of the leaf by removing the outer layers.
Constituents: Primarily composed of water and polysaccharides, with additional amino acids, lipids, sterols, and tannins.
Uses: Widely used for the external treatment of minor wounds, and inflammatory skin disorders. Used in treating minor skin irritations (like burns, bruises, and abrasions). Also used in cosmetics (as a hydrating ingredient for liquids, creams, sun lotions, shaving creams, lip balms, healing ointments, and face packs).

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Description

Explore the fascinating world of botanical drugs with a focus on extracts and agar-agar. Learn about the preparation methods, physical characteristics, and uses of these unique substances derived from plants. This quiz will challenge your knowledge of plant-derived pharmaceutical products.