Qualitative and Quantitative Estimation of Gallic Acid and Ascorbic Acid in Polyherbal Tablets

An HPTLC method was developed for Qualitative and Quantitative Estimation of Gallic Acid and Ascorbic Acid in Polyherbal Tablets (Amalant and Sookshma Triphala Tablet) containing Embelica Officinalis, using precoated HPTLC silica gel 60 F254 as Stationary Phase and Mobile Phase for Gallic Acid is Toluene: Ethyl Acetate: Formic Acid (6:3:1v/v/v) and for Ascorbic Acid is Ethyl Acetate: Acetic Acid Glacial: Formic Acid: Water (6:1:1:2v/v/v/v). Detection and Quantification were performed densitometrically at λmax 254nm for Gallic Acid and Ascorbic Acid. The Standard Rf values of Gallic Acid and Ascorbic Acid are 0.34±0.01 and 0.60±0.01 respectively. The total peak areas of the Standards [Gallic Acid and Ascorbic Acid] and the corresponding peak areas of extracts were compared and the Gallic Acid content were estimated to be 3.01, 4.89% and 5.01% from Amla Powder, Amalant Tablet and Sookshma Triphala Tablet and the Ascorbic Acid were estimated to be 11.56%, 28.94%, 31.79% from Amla Powder, Amalant Tablet and Sookshma Triphala Tablet. INTRODUCTION: The fruits of Phyllanthus embelica Linn. (Euphorbiaceae), commonly known in India as amla (Sanskrit name amalaki), are consumed as fruit or in the form of food products. This fruit also forms an important constituent of many Ayurvedic preparations such as chyavanprash and triphala and is regarded as one of the best rejuvenating herbs. It is a mediumsized deciduous tree found throughout India . The fruits are globular, fleshy, smooth, and striated, of yellowish-green color. They contain an obovateobtusely triangular six-celled nut. Traditionally, the fruit is useful as an astringent, cardiac tonic, diuretic, laxative, liver tonic, refrigerant, stomachic, restorative, alterative, antipyretic, antiinflammatory, hair tonic, and digestive medicine 1, . It is used for a variety of ailments such as, anemia, hyperacidity, diarrhea, and eye inflammation, and anomalies of urine, leucorrhea, jaundice, nervine debility, liver complaints, and cough 3, . It is reported to have hepatoprotective, antioxidant, antimutagenic, cytoprotective, antitumor, antifungal, antimicrobial, hypolipidemic, and antiatherosclerotic effects 4, 5, . The fruit contains two hydrolysable tannins Emblicanin A and B, which have antioxidant properties; one on hydrolysis gives Gallic Acid, Ellagic Acid, and Glucose, whereas the other gives Ellagic acid and Glucose 7, . These fruits are also considered as a rich source of ascorbic acid which have antioxidant property. The High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatographic (HPTLC) method for qualitative and quantitative estimation of gallic acid and ascorbic acid in polyherbal tablets containing Embelica officinalis still has not been reported. The goal of the present work is to determine and quantitate the content of gallic acid and ascorbic acid in polyherbal tablets containing Embelica officinalis by using the HPTLC method.