Quantitative HPLC Analysis of Ascorbic Acid and Gallic Acid in Phyllanthus Emblica

Emblica (Phyllanthus emblica L.), an euphorbiaceous plant, is widely distributed in subtropical and tropical areas of India, China , Indonesia and Malay Peninsula and used in many traditional medicinal systems, such as Chinese herbal medicine, Tibetan medicine and Ayurvedic medicine [1]. It is a rich dietary source of vitamin C, minerals and amino acids and also contains a wide variety of phenolic compounds, such as tannins, phyllembelic acid, phyllemblin, rutin, curcuminoides and emblicol [2]. Earlier studies have demonstrated potent antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic, adaptogenic, hepatoprotective, antitumor, antiulcerogenic and antidiarrheal activities in the fruits of Phyllanthus emblica [3-7]. Phyllanthus emblica fruits possess antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic properties owing to the combined presence of β-carotene, ascorbic acid and chlorophylin and have also been shown to modulate several biochemical events associated with tumor promotion such as alteration of protein kinase C (PKC) activity [8]. The fruits of Phyllanthus emblica are reported to contain hydrolysable tannins, emblicanin A and emblicanin B, along with pedunculagin and punigluconin [9].