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…
It consists of the dried and purified latex obtained form the unripe fruits of Carica papaya, Family: Caricaceae. Commercial Importance Papain contains several proteolytic enzymes and being similar to pepsin it is referred to as vegetable pepsin. Its protein-cleaving property gives it immense commercial value and it is used for a wide variety of functions such…
There is a large market for valerian for use in pharmaceuticals, food and cosmetic industries. Majority of valerian in trade comes from cultivated material. Most of the drug is now produced in Europe which is also its largest market. Germany is the largest consuming country. Majority of the standardized extracts and crude, cut and sifted…
Valerian flower extracts were used in perfumery since the 6th century. Employed as an anti-anxiety agent and sleep aid for more than 1,000 years, valerian is also used an antispasmodic in hysteria and other nervous disorders. Valerian was especially popular during World War I, when it was used to treat shell-shock. It possesses mild sedative…
The drug yields 0.5% to 1% volatile oil and it should contain NLT 15% of alcohol (60%) extractable matter. The volatile oil consists of esters, alcohols, eugenol, terpenes and sesquiterpenes. It also contains epoxy-iridoid esters called valepotriates, the principal component of which is valtrate (0.4% to 2%). About 0.05% to 1% alkaloids are also present…
The plant is a hardy perennial growing to a height of 1–2 m. It bears sweet-scented white or pink flowers. Propagated from the seeds and from seedling plantings, valerian is to be harvested in the second year of growth. The vertical rhizomes of the valerian plant with horizontal branches or stolons at about the ground…
Native to Europe and parts of Asia, V. officinalis is presently obtained from wild and cultivated plants in Britain, Russia, Holland, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, eastern Europe and Japan. It is also cultivated in the United States. Polyploidy is common with V. officinalis and there are diploid, tetraploid and octaploid types. British valerian is usually octaploid and central European…