Establishing standards to check the quality of the medicinal plant Physalis angulata L. Solanaceae family

Abstract

     Plants are an important source of medicinal materials. Physalis angulata, family Solanaceae is an edible and medicinal plant in the world and in Vietnam. However, the quality standards of P. angulata have not been specified in the Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia, causing difficulties in testing. This study proposed various test criteria such as description, identification of medicinal herbs by chemical and microscopic methods, purity test and  extractives. The results described the morphology of fresh and dried medicinal plants; qualitative medicinal herbs with anatomical characteristics and medicinal powders with fragments of epidermis with stomata, multicellular covering trichomes, helical vessels, scalariform vessels, pitted vessels, etc. In P. angulata extract, there are alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, reducing sugars, organic acids and no courmarin. The recommended quality levels for moisture content not more than 8%, crumble not more than 4%, impurities not more than 0.5%, total ash not more than 12%, extractable substances in medicinal herbs not less than 12% by cold extraction with water and not less than 8% by cold extraction with ethanol 96%. This result contributes to the standardization of the medicinal source of Physalis angulata L., in order to use this medicinal species safely and effectively.