Ayurveda Detoxification Process Reduces Plumbagin from the Roots of Plumbago zeylanica L. - A RP-UFLC Analysis

Ayurveda describes purification process of certain herbal drugs to reduce the toxicity and make them suitable for therapeutic purpose. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of detoxification process on plumbagin (PG) from the Plumbago zeylanica L. roots in marketed samples. It involved procurement of market samples from five states of India viz. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. The roots were purified in lime water (LW) as mentioned in Ayurveda. Reverse Phase Ultra-Flow Liquid Chromatography method was validated for identification of PG in unprocessed and processed roots and in the media (LW) used for purification after processing. The data was statistically analyzed by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and tested for significance by the Dunnett multiple comparison test. Results were expressed as mean ± SD mg/g dry weight of extract. The study indicated that the PG was reduced quantitatively after processing, while the amount of PG found in the LW was observed to be increased, indicating the leaching of PG during the purification process. In conclusion, the detoxification process eliminates PG from its roots and discloses the leaching effect in the media for the first time.