Comparative HPTLC fingerprint profile of three types of Kodiveli used in Siddha

Abstract

Kodiveli is an important Siddha drug used in the formulations such as Kodiveli Podi, Kodiveli Ennai, Kodiveli Thylam, Chithramoola Kuligai and Kodiveli Kudineer. The HPTLC is a simple method to differentiate closely related species. HPTLC profiling of ethanolic extracts of roots of three species of Plumbago (Plumbago zeylanica L. (Venkodiveli), P.indica L., (Senkodiveli) and P. auriculata Lam. (Karunkodiveli)) has been carried out using Toluene: Ethyl acetate: Methanol (5:1.5:0.1) as solvent system on Silica gel 60 F₂₅₄-coated aluminium sheets. The preliminary qualitative phytochemical screening found the same combination of phytoconstituents while the HPTLC finger prints have given more refined picture in respect of the number of compounds present and plumbagin concentration among the three selected species of Plumbago. The chromatogram peak at R_f. 0.76 found common and indicating highest concentration in all the three species and it may be of the bioactive compound plumbagin. The number of peaks and their attributes were found to be different among the roots of the selected species. This result will be highly useful for the precise identification and discrimination of the authentic root materials of P. zeylanica, P. Indica and P. Auriculata from substitutes and adulterants used in the raw drug market.