Preparation and Standardisation of Mother Tincture from Strychnos potatorum: A New Drug Source in Homoeopathy

Abstract

Strychnos potatorum L.f. is a deciduous tree of 12 metre height, belongs to Loganiaceae family under genus Strychnos and is commonly distributed throughout India. Its flowering time is from February to May and fruiting time from October to March. This plant contains diaboline as active compound and besides it, terpenoid, cardiac glycoside and phenolic compounds as other phytochemical constituents. Recent study has revealed that the plant's seed has antidiabetic, nephroprotective, hepatoprotective, antipyretic, antineoplastic, antimicrobial and contraceptive properties. Hence different systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha have included this plant in their pharmacopoeial preparation and use it according to their own principles. Ayurvedic system uses the seed against skin disease, gonorrhoea, fever and inflammation of the eyes. Unani system uses it for treatment of urinary complaints whereas Siddha system uses it for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Genus Strychnos is a well-known genus to homoeopathy system. Drugs like Ignatia and Nux vomica belong to this genus, but no data till today regarding the above-stated plant are available in the homoeopathic pharmacopoeia of India. So, the objective of this physiochemical study is to search the scope of inclusion of this plant as new medicinal source in homoeopathic system of medicine for the purpose of drug proving. Keeping this objective in our mind, chemical analysis of the ethanolic extract of the seed was done by thin layer chromatography and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, which was followed by preparation and standardisation of mother tincture.

Keywords

homoeopathy - mother tincture - new drug - Strychnos potatorum - thin layer chromatography

Publication History

Article published online:
24 May 2022

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