Monitoring seasonal variation of epicatechin and gallic acid in the bark of Saraca asoca using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method

• Published in: Journal of ayurveda and integrative medicine Vol. 6; no. 1; pp. 29 - 34
• Main Authors: Ketkar, Pushkar M, Nayak, Shraddha U, Pai, Sandeep R, Joshi, Rajesh K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd 01.01.2015; Elsevier Limited; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acids; Analysis; Ayurveda; Ayurvedic medicine; Calibration; Chemical properties; Chromatography; epicatechin; Free radicals; gallic acid; Health aspects; Herbal medicine; High performance liquid chromatography; Legumes; Metabolites; Original; Phenols (Class of compounds); Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Wilde; seasonal variation; Sensors; Trees; India; seasonal variation; epicatechin; Ayurveda; Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Wilde; gallic acid
• ISSN: 0975-9476; 0976-2809
• DOI: 10.4103/0975-9476.146568

Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Wilde (Fabaceae) is a high valued but vulnerable medicinal plant of Western Ghats region. This plant is mainly known for its use in various gynecological disorders. The objective of the present study was to investigate seasonal variation of the polyphenolic compounds viz., epicatechin and gallic acid in the bark of S. asoca by using Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode Array Detector (RP-HPLC-DAD) method. The bark was collected in six different Ritu (season) viz. Varsha (monsoon), Sharad (autumn), hemant (early winter), Shishir (winter), Vasanta (spring), and Grishma (summer) mentioned in Ayurveda. The RP-HPLC-DAD analysis indicated that levels of epicatechin and gallic acid in the bark of S. asoca vary seasonally. The highest concentration of epicatechin was observed in Shishir Ritu (3315.19 ± 165.76 mg/100g) and gallic acid during Hemant Ritu (211.90 ± 10.60 mg/100 g). In present study, the ability to synthesize and accumulate both the compounds in bark of S. asoca varied greatly throughout the seasons. It was also observed that the compound epicatechin was present abundantly as compared to gallic acid throughout the seasons.