Physicochemical Profile of Acacia Catechu Bark Extract–An Invitro Study

Introduction: Acacia catechu has a great importance due to its medicinal properties. It is a historical plant; widely used in traditional medicine especially in Asia. The bark of this plant is strong antioxidant, astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antifungal in nature. It is used as mouthwash for mouth, gum, sore throat, gingivitis, dental and oral infections. It is also helpful in numerous women related problems. It also has abundant anti-microbial properties. This study aims at evaluating the physicochemical profile of Acacia catechu bark extract in order to make optimum use of the extract for therapeutic purposes.

Materials and Method: The plant material of Acacia catechu was shade dried at a temperature range of 20° to 30° C for about 2 weeks. The dried sample was then powdered in a grinding mill. The obtained powder was used for physico chemical analysis and for extraction using solvents.

Results: Ash value was found to be 12.7%. Acid insoluble & soluble content of the plant material was found to 1.67 & 6.26 %. The percentage weight of loss on drying or moisture content was found to be 7.245%. Extractive values found, are tabulated for different solvent systems. Ethanol 95 % showed 2.436 %.

Conclusion: Acacia catechu was characterized on the basis of the physicochemical parameters. The present work will, thus, provide helpful information on the quality of these herbal materials to ensure genuineness, safety and efficacy prior incorporation in pharmaceutical formulations.