Purification of <em>Guggul</em> by <em>Ayurvedic</em> process (<em>Shodhana</em>), estimation of Guggulsterone E & Z before and after purification by HPLC analysis

Abstract

<em>Guggul</em> is one of the <em>Ayurvedic</em> product in great demand, used for over thousands of years and high status for its versatile use in several ailments. The two most important pharmacological properties of <em>guggul</em> are its anti-inflammatory and hypolipidaemic actions. The present study was undertaken to find out the effect of three different media of purification (water, cow’s urine and <em>Triphala Kashay</em> a (decoction of three myrobalans)) of raw <em>guggul</em> on its markers Guggulsterone E & Z at different heating temperature during <em>Shodhana</em> (purification) process. The <em>guggul</em> purified by different methods was found to be quite variable in reference to physico-chemical parameters and its marker compounds Guggulsterone E & Z by HPLC analysis at similar chromatographic conditions. The Guggulsterone E & Z was found in the order: water > cow’s urine > <em>Triphla Kashaya</em> (0.29 w/w, 0.24 w/w and 0.16 w/w, respectively at 85 °C to 95 °C). But the same raw <em>guggul</em> purified with same media like water, cow’s urine and <em>Triphala Kashay</em> a at temperature 60 °C to 70 °C showed the presence of high quantity of Guggulsterone E & Z (0.49 w/w, 0.45 w/w and 0.30 w/w for water, cow’s urine and <em>Triphala Kashay</em> a, respectively), as compared to the quantity of Guggulsterone E & Z found at temperature 85 °C to 95 °C.