The term tropane alkaloids refers to a group of more than 200 compounds best known for their occurrence in the family Solanaceae comprising over 100 genera and 3,000 plant species. The most important natural tropane alkaloids are (-)hyoscyamine, its stable racemate, atropine and (-)scopolamine. Important sources of these alkaloids are Belladonna sps, Duboisia sps, Datura sps, Hysocyamus sps and Scopolia sps. Commercial Importance Tropane…

The International Aloe Science Council (IASC) estimates raw material sales of aloe vera as currently US $70–90 million globally with 35% growth expected in the next five years. The United States is by far the single largest supplier with 60% to 65% of total sales. Latin America constitutes another 20% to 25% and Asia and…

Native of northern Africa, A. barbadensis was introduced into Barbados islands in the 17th century. Employed as a purgative the drug was known in England in the 10th century. A. chinensis, a variety of A. barbadensis was introduced into Curacao from China in 1817. The drug was cultivated to a considerable extent in Barbados until the middle of the 19th…

Different aloes are associated with different macroscopical features depending on the species and the method of preparation. While cape aloes occurs as dark brown or greenish brown, glassy masses, curacao varies in colour from yellowish brown to chocolate brown. Sacotrine and Zanzibar aloes no longer official are of infrequent occurrence in commerce and they are…

Aloe species are grown as ornamentals in gardens and pots. Typical xerophytic plants, Aloe species have fleshy leaves which are strongly cuticularized and usually prickly at the margins. Only known as cultivated or naturalized plant, Aloe takes three years to attain harvestable size and can be harvested for seven years. While aloetic juice (for preparations of the purgative…

Indigenous to Africa the genus Aloe includes herbs, shrubs and trees bearing spikes of white, yellow or red flowers. Many species have been introduced into West Indies and Europe. Aloe comprises about 450 species in Africa and Arabia of which about 315 occur in mainland Africa, about 100 are endemic to Indian Ocean islands and 50 occur in Arabia.…

Aloe or aloes consists of the solid residue obtained by evaporating the liquid (aloetic juice) which drains from the transversely cut leaves of various species of Aloe (Liliaceae). Commercial Importance The drug aloes is of historical importance being used as a purgative since 4th century BC by the Greeks. Though it is still of some pharmaceutical significance,…

East Africa is currently the world’s largest supplier of papain. African nations, especially the Democratic Republic of Congo, are the major exporters of papain. Other suppliers are Zaire, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Israel, Phillippines, India and Sri Lanka. Total market size of papain in Europe is estimated at several 100 tonnes per year. (Exact volume…

Because of several proteolytic enzymes it contains, a single sample of papain yields variable results depending on the protein used. Best-grade papain can digest 300 times its own weight of egg albumin. Because of pepsin-like action, it is used as a protein digestant, in combination with other enzymes such as amylases, however over a broader…

The papaya tree is indigenous to tropical America and is cultivated throughout the tropical world and warmer parts of the subtropics. On a large scale it is cultivated in India, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Hawaii, Florida, Phillippines, South Africa and Australia. Harvest A large herbaceous tree of 5–6 m height, Carica papaya is dieceous but rarely monoecious. The…