Physicochemical and Phytochemical Evaluation of <i>Psoralea corylifolia</i> (Seed) and its Extract

Abstract

Background: Herbal phytochemicals play an important role in the treatment of various dreadful diseases. Psoralea corylifolia is an annual herbaceous plant widely grown in India and other countries Secondary metabolites of P. corylifolia play a crucial role in various skin disorders like psoriasis, eczema and vitiligo as per literary and current reported studies. Various studies have indicated that the seeds of P. corylifolia possess antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Aim: To evaluate the physicochemical and phytochemical analysis of P. corylifolia. Methods: Psoralen, which is the main active chief constituent present in P. corylifolia, has great therapeutic potential for managing psoriasis. The utilisation of such constituents in Novel Drug Delivery System (NDDS) like micro-emulsions, nano-emulsions, phytosomes, etc. leads to enhanced therapeutic potential. But before proceeding, the formulation development quality control standardisation of every drug is a must for the effective performance of the drug. The standardisation of herbal drugs plays a crucial role in their enhanced therapeutic value. All the standardisation parameters of herbal drugs are widely available in various pharmacopoeias as well as in the Ayurvedic formulary. This article is an attempt to revalidate the physicochemical evaluations of P. corylifolia seeds along with the High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) profiling by using potent phytochemical markers. Results: The phytochemical investigation of the extract of P. corylifolia shows the presence of alkaloids, tannins, triterpenoids, glycosides, flavonoids etc. Conclusion: Based on findings, it is concluded that prepared extract can be utilised for further activities like formulation development where the extract can play an important role as compared to simple powder.