Pharmacognostic study of Saponin glycosides, Pharmacognostic study of Liquorice, Pharmacognostic study of Ginseng, Pharmacognostic study of Sarasaprilla

1. Saponin Glycosides
Prepared by,
Ms. M.S. Divya Sree,
Assistant Professor,
Department of Pharmacognosy,
Sree Vidyanikethan College of Pharmacy,
Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
Pharmacognostic study
Liquorice
Ginseng
Sarasaprilla

2. Yesti
Synonyms: Liquorice, glycyrrhizae radix, mulethi
Biological Source:
It consists of dried, peeled or unpeeled root
and stolon of Glycyrrhiza glabra, family –
Leguminosae.

4. Geographical source
Commercially cultivated in Spain, Sicily,
England.
Varieties:
G.glabra var. typica (Spanish)
G.glabra var. glandulifera (Russian)
G.glabra var. violacea (Persian)

5. Cultivation & Collection
 Propogation done with young pieces of stolons.
 Plants grow well in deep sandy, fertile soil.
 The underground parts are collected in their 3 - 4 year.
 Dug up & washed.
 Some are peeled and cut shorter before drying; others
are left unpeeled.

6. Macroscopy
 Color : Unpeeled – yellowish brown or dark brown
externally and yellowish internally. Peeled – pale yellow.
 Odour : faint and characteristic
 Taste : sweet
 Size : length : 20 - 50 cm,
2 cm diameter
 Shape cylindrical

7. Microscopy
o Unpeeled drug – polyhedral tubular browninsh cork cells
o Fibres are thick, lignified.
o Vessels are large and closely arranged.
o Presence of starch and calcium oxalate crystals.
o In stolon, pith is present & is parenchymatous.
o Root has tetrach xylem and no pith.

9. Chemical Constituents
• Glycyrrhizin (triterpenoid) – responsible for the sweet
taste.
• Glycerrhizic acid – triterpenoid saponin. On hydrolysis
gives glycyrrhetinic acid.
• Flavonoids – responsible for yellow colour.
• Liquiritin & isoliquiritin.
• Carbenoxolone – an oleandane derivative from
glycyrrhiza & possess minerocorticoid activity, used as
anti-ulcer drug.

10. Chemical test
Liquorice + 80% sulphuric acid shows
deep yellow colour.

11. Uses
– Flavoring agent in Pharmaceutical preparation.
– Demulcent and expectorant.
– Treatment of peptic ulcer.
– Treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis and Inflammatory
conditions as it has cortisone like action.
– Sweetener
– Treatment of liver diseases and liver protection
– Antispasmodic

12. Glycyrrhiza glabra - Adulterants
Glycyrrhiza uralensis
Glycyrrhiza echinata
Glycyrrhiza macedonia
Glycyrrhiza pallidiflora

14. Ginseng
Synonyms: Ninjin, Pannag, Panax
Biological Source:
It is the dried root of various species of Panax
like Panax ginseng (Korean ginseng), Panax
japonica (japanese ginseng), Panax notoginseng
(Chinese ginseng) & Panax quinquefolium
(American ginseng), Family: Araliaceae

16. Geographical source
• Grows widely in Korea, China and Russia.
• Commercially cultivated in Korea, China, Japan,
Canada, USA and Russia.
• Name – derived from chinese word shen – sang
– means Man root – root resembles human
body.

17. Cultivation & Collection
 Propogated by means of seeds in nursery beds
& transplanted to open fields.
 The ripe seeds are collected from 4 yr old plants.
 They are sown in november in nursery beds.
 After attaining sufficient growth, the seedlings
are dug up in may and transplanted to
permanent beds for next 3-5 yrs.

18.  It requires clay loam or sandy loam soil.
 Altitude : 100 – 800 mts.
 High amount of Potassium gives better results.
 Plants – harvested 3 to 5 years after
transplantation.

19.  The plants are harvested between july to
october.
 White ginseng is obtained by removing outer
layers of roots.
 Red ginseng is obtained by 1st steaming the
roots & then dried.

20. Macroscopy
 Colour - yellowish brown, white or red
depending on type.
 Odour – feeble (faint)
 Taste – sweet, slightly aromatic
 Tuberous roots.
 Translucent and possess the stem scars

21. Chemical Constituents
 It contains mixture of saponin glycosides (triterpenoid
group)
Ginsenosides – aglycone – dammarol
Panaxosides – aglycone – Oleanolic acid
 13 Ginsenosides identified.
 Panaxosides – on decomposition - oleanolic acid +
panaxodiol + panaxotriol

23. Uses
o Immunomodulatory drug.
o It has an adaptogenic (antistress, anti-fatigue)
effect.
o It improves both physical and mental performance
including learning, memory and physical capabilities.
o It improves the immune function and metabolism.

24. o Stimulant
o Sedative
o Aphrodisiac
o Useful in adrenal and thyroid dysfunctioning.
o Long term use leads to poisoning.
o Extracts – used externally in cosmetics.

25. o In olden days
– Curing giddiness
– Prolonging life of elderly and diabetic persons
– Demulcent
– In gastritis and anemia.

26. Sarsaparilla
Synonym: Smilax medica, saparna, smilax
Biological Source:
Sarsaparilla consists of the dried roots and
sometimes the rhizomes of Smilax officinalis
and other species of Smilax, Family Liliaceae.

28. Geographical source
Indigenous to Central America
Extending from the southern and western
coasts of Mexico to Peru.

29. Varieties
Variety Botanical source
Mexican Smilax aristolochiaefolia
Honduras (Jamaica) Smilax regelii
Peruvian Smilax febrifuga

30. Macroscopy
Colour: Reddish brown to dark brown
Taste : Sweet and bitter (balanced form)
Odour : Characteristic
Length : 50 - 75 cm
Diameter: 2 - 5.5 mm

31. Chemical Constituents
 Steroidal & glycoside saponins - smilagenin,
sarsasapogenin, sarsaparilloside, sarsaponin.
 Contains 2 isomeric aglycones : Smilagenin &
sarsasapogenin (differ at C-25).
 Crystalline glycoside : Sarsasaponin

32. • Sarsasaponin on hydrolysis - Sarsasapogenin + 3
Glucose + 1 rhamnose
• Flavonoids (quercitin), phytosterols, starch, resin, β-
sitosterol, stigmasterol, oxalic acid, fatty acids.

33. Uses
• Treats Syphilis, rheumatism & certain skin diseases.
• Used in partial synthesis of Cortisone & other
steroids
• General tonic, pituitary stimulant, metabolic
stimulant, immuno-stimulant, antiseptic, antibiotic,
anti-inflammatory, anti-pruritic