Abstract

Proper validation of traditional medical knowledge using current scientific techniques and reasoning is vital before complementary and alternative medicinal products are integrated into conventional clinical practice. The present study was designed to standardize a proprietary Ayurvedic polyherbal preparation, Madhuram. Concocted as a mixture of six popular antidiabetic herbs as per Ayurvedic therapeutics, this is being prescribed as a health supplement in prediabetes. Capsule contents were processed for HPTLC analysis based on markers phyllanthin, berberine, ellagic acid, gallic acid, gymnemic acid and sennoside B through sample enrichment and were quantified against reference standards. The retention factors were phyllanthin 0.35±0.03, berberine 0.32±0.02, gallic acid 0.41±0.02, ellagic acid 0.29±0.04, gymnemic acid 0.36±0.01 and sennoside B 0.41±0.01 in their respective solvent systems. The peaks for phyllanthin, berberine, gallic acid, ellagic acid, gymnemic acid in their respective chromatograms of the formulation authenticated the raw material. Sennoside B was not detected in its enriched fraction of sample. Quantitation by densiometric scanning followed by peak integration demonstrated the presence of 3.17 µg of phyllanthin, 4.92 µg of berberine, 72 µg of gallic acid, 66 µg of ellagic acid, 410 µg of gymnemic acid. The evaluation of antidiabetic poly herbal established the identity of label claim herbs. Quantification of markers characteristic of each herb has laid the groundwork for batch to batch standardization to check its content uniformity.