Pharmacogn J. 2018; 10(6) Suppl: s89-s94 A Multifaceted Journal in the field of Natural Products and Pharmacognosy Original Article www.phcogj.com | www.journalonweb.com/pj | www.phcog.net Pharmacognostical and Physicochemical Studies of Enhalus acoroides (L.F.) Royle (Rhizome) Supattra Klangprapun1, Benjaporn Buranrat1, Wanida Caichompoo2, Somsak Nualkaew2,* ABSTRACT Introduction: The rhizome of Enhalus acoroides (L.f.) Royle is used in traditional medicine for treatment of many diseases e.g. muscle pains, wounds and stomach problems where pharmacognostical studies are lacking. Many chemical constituents; luteolin, apigenin, lu- teolin glycosides, stigmasterol, daucosterol have been reported. The aim of this work was to perform a pharmacognostical evaluation. Methods: Macroscopical, microscopical and physi- cochemical parameters were assessed. Results: E. acoroides has characteristic morphology. Microscopical studies indicated the presence of vessels, fiber, parenchyma cells, sclereids, tracheids and trichomes. Physicochemical parameters of E. acoroides rhizome; foreign mat- ter, loss on drying and total ash content were measured. As well as chemical investigation through TLC and HPLC were specified. Conclusion: The present study of E. acoroides rhi- zome provides useful information that can serve as a diagnostic tool for the standardization of E. acoroides and will be helpful in characterization of the crude drug in the market. Key words: Enhalus acoroides, Macroscopic, Microscopic, Pharmacognostic, Standardization, Specification. Supattra Klangprapun1, Benjaporn Buranrat1, Wanida Caichompoo2, Somsak Nualkaew2,* INTRODUCTION Enhalus acoroides (L.f.) Royle is a seagrass, in a mono- conditions and sea sickness. Seeds of E. acoroides 1Faculty of Medicine, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, THAILAND. typic genus of marine flowering plants belonging to the are thought to have aphrodisiac and contraceptive 2Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Natural family of Hydrocharitaceae. E. acoroides is wide spread properties.10 A number of traditional Maluku coastal Product Research Unit, Faculty of in the Indian to Pacific Oceans.1 There are approxi- residents believe that seed of E. acoroides is able to Pharmacy, Mahasarakham University, mately 50 species of seagrasses in 12 genera around promote the immune system.11 In Thailand, only Mahasarakham, THAILAND. the world and E. acoroides is common in the major rhizome of E. acoroides was used as a medicine for Correspondence seagrass areas of Southeast Asia.2 In Thailand, it is one treatment of carminative and to increase blood and Dr. Somsak Nualkaew of twelve seagrass species are found in 19 provinces.3 lymph circulation.12-13 It is used in many recipes of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Natural It occurs in brackish water canals down to the lower Thai traditional medicine e.g. Maha-Anan-Ta-Khun, Product Research Unit, Faculty of intertidal and subtidal zones on mud, muddy sand and Ya-Kae-Sama-That, Prab-Chom-Phu-Tha-Weep.14-15 Pharmacy, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, THAILAND. sandy coral substrates. In the gulf of Thailand, it grows Pharmacological activities of extracts and isolated on coarse substrate ranging from medium and coarse compounds of E. acoroides have been reported Phone no: +66-85-1376763 sand to coral rubble at a depth of 0.5–1.0 m.4 including antioxidant,10-11 antifeedant, antibacte- E-mail: [email protected] Many studies have shown the benefits ofE. acoroides. rial, antilarval, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic History It has long been recognized as critical coastal nursery activity.10,16 Rough extract of E. acoroides that con- • Submission Date: 24-07-2018; • Review completed: 05-09-2018; habitat for estuarine fisheries and wildlife. It functions tains polysaccharide and other substances has been • Accepted Date: 04-10-2018 as direct food sources for fish, waterfowl, dugongs, shown to have antiviral (CVB3, HSV-1) and anti- manatees and sea turtles. It also participants in nutri- bacterial activities and to activate insulin secretion.11 DOI : 10.5530/pj.2018.6s.17 ent cycling processes and acts as a stabilizing agent in Many chemical compounds of E. acoroides have been 5-7 Article Available online coastal sedimentation and erosion processes. The studied. The seeds are highly nutritious as they con- http://www.phcogj.com/v10/i6s seeds of E. acoroides have been traditionally eaten in tain carbohydrate (59.26%), protein (5.65%) and fat the Philippines. The raw seeds are described as crunchy (0.76%).11 Fresh leaves of E. acoroides are rich in the Copyright © 2018 Phcog.Net. This is an open- and sweet while boiled seeds contained more starch sterol and fatty acid components; sitosterol, stigmas- 8 access article distributed under the terms and taste like cooked sweet potato. In folk medicine, terol, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid and of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 it has been used for a variety of remedial purposes, e.g. stigmasterol derivatives.16-18 The rhizome and roots International license. for the treatment of fever and skin diseases, muscle of E. acoroides contain many chemical constituents pains, wounds, stomach problems, a remedy against such as luteolin, apigenin, luteolin 4’-glucuronide, stings of different kinds of rays and tranquillizers for luteolin 3’-glucuronide, stigmasta-4,22-dien-6β- babies.9 In India, it was used for treatment of heart ol-3-one, stigmasta-4,22-dien-3,6-dione, stigmast- Cite this article: Klangprapun S, Buranrat B, Caichompoo W, Nualkaew S. Pharmacognostical and Physicochemical Studies of Enhalus acoroides (L.F.) Royle (Rhizome). Pharmacog J. 2018;10(6) Suppl:s89-s94. Pharmacognosy Journal, Vol 10, Issue 6 (Suppl), Nov-Dec, 2018 S89 Klangprapun, et al.: Pharmacognostic of Enhalus acoroides 22-en-3-one, stigmasta-5,22-dien-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, daucosterol, solvent front has moved from the original position to the finish line hexacosyl alcohol, p-hydroxy-benzaldehyde, n-hexadecanoic acid.10,16 (8 cm) and subsequently allowed to dry. After drying, the plate was Although much information about E. acoroides has been reported, examined under ultraviolet light (254 and 366 nm) and sprayed with pharmacognostical studies are lacking. The objectives of the present anisaldehyde-sulfuric acid spray reagent. The distance components of a study were to evaluate pharmacognostical parameters of the E. acoroides mixture travelled were quantified using retention factors.20 including macroscopic, microscopic and physicochemical properties to HPLC analysis was achieved using a chromatographic system (Primaide, establish a standard for quality control of crude drug of E. acoroides. Hitachi) equipped with diode array detector determined at 254 nm. MATERIALS AND METHODS Analytical column HPLC, Phenomenex (Kinetex C18, 100x4.6 mm, 2.6 mm) was used. The gradient of acetonitrile and 0.05% trifluoroacetic Plant material acid in water were used as the mobile phase to find a suitable condition. The dried rhizome of E. acoroides were collected from 19 traditional Apigenin (1 mg/mL in ethanol) and luteolin (1 mg/mL in methanol) drug stores located in different regions throughout Thailand. The fresh were used as the reference substances. Two gram of E. acoroides was plant of E. acoroides (authentic samples) were collected from Phrathong extracted with 25 mL of 80% ethanol in ultrasonic bath for 30 min and island (Phangnga province), Samui island (Suratthani province), Yaoyai filtered by 0.45 μm membrane filter before injection to HPLC. island (Trang province) and Tharai island (Nakhonsrithammarat province), Thailand. The authentic samples were identified by Dr. Sutthira Sedlak, Determination of physicochemical parameters the botanist of Walairukhavej Botanical Research Institute, Mahasarakham Physicochemical parameters were examined following the WHO and University, Thailand. The rhizomes were cut and washed with water Thai herbal pharmacopoeia guidelines including foreign matter, loss on to remove the adherent impurities, dried in a hot air oven at 40oC for drying, total ash, acid-insoluble ash and water, ethanol, chloroform and 48 h. The voucher specimens were deposited at Faculty of Pharmacy, hexane soluble extractives.19,21 Mahasarakham University, Thailand (Code: MSU.PH-HDT-C1). The dried rhizomes of E. acoroides from each sample (1000 g) were kept in Foreign matter air tight containers until used. Another 1000 g of dried rhizomes from The 250 g of dried rhizome of E. acoroides were spread on white, clean each resource were ground to a coarse powder (sieve No.70) and stored muslin cloth. Foreign matter was sorted out by visual inspection. The in air tight containers until used. portions of the sorted foreign matter were weighed and the percent Chemical content of foreign matter of the sample was calculated. Organic solvents (AR grade), chloroform, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, Loss on drying ethanol, hexane and methanol were obtained from RCI Labscan (Thailand) About 2.0 g of E. acoroides rhizome powder was accurately weighed in and toluene from CARLO ERBA, Italy. Hydrochloric acid and sulfuric wide mouthed flat weighing bottles. The bottles were placed in an air acid were purchased from CARLO ERBA, Italy, formic acid from Merck, oven, maintained at 105 ± 2ºC, for 2 h. The bottles were then removed, Germany and trifluoroacetic acid from Fisher chemical, UK. Anisalde- covered and placed in a desiccator. The respective bottles were weighed hyde was purchased from Panreacquimica, Spain. Ultra-gradient aceto- after cooling to room