AUTHENTICATION OF POLYHERBAL FORMULATIONS USING PCR TECHNIQUE

Unprecedented growth in popularity of complementary medicines raised concerns about their quality and safety. So, there is a need to develop methods for their sensitive, specific and accurate analysis. Authenticity and similarity of medicinal nutrients and strict procedures of material handling are significant features to maintain the quality of herbal preparations. Genome-based methods to authenticate these plants revolutionized the authentication process. Developing DNA molecular markers by sequencing a standard zone of the DNA is the best technique to identify the adulterants as well as to authenticate the required species of medicinal plants. Application of molecular biological technique serves as one of the very consistent systems for authentication of natural herbal materials. The progress of authentic analytical methods is a major challenge to scientists as natural products are optimized as drug-like molecules. Current work is based on the use of PCR technique for authentication of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. standard crude root and in polyherbal formulations i.e., Hamdard’s Joshanda, Marhaba’s Joshanda, GNC Herbal supplement and Joshaba Sadar (Chest Tea) available in the market, provided isolated DNA from dried roots of the sample was used as templates in PCR. All the products gave the desired results except one. It proved to be a complementary tool to control the quality of herbal materials alone and in a different marketable herbal product having Glycyrrhiza sp. as their active ingredient.