Podophyllum
»Podophyllum consists of the dried rhizomes and roots of Podophyllum peltatumLinné(Fam.Berberidaceae).It yields not less than 5.0percent of podophyllum resin.
Botanic characteristics—
Podophyllum— Consists of nearly cylindrical rhizomes,jointed,compressed or flattened somewhat on upper and lower surfaces,and sometimes branched.It occurs as pieces of rhizome up to 20cm in length,with internodes from 2mm to 9mm in diameter,some of the nodes being somewhat thickened.The rhizome is dusky red to light yellowish brown,longitudinally wrinkled or nearly smooth,with irregular,somewhat V-shaped scars of scale leaves;some of the nodes are annulate,the upper portion having large,circular,depressed stem-scars and buds or stem-bases.On the lower portion there are numerous root-scars or roots,the latter from 2cm to 7cm in length and about 2mm in thickness.The fracture is short and weak,the fractured surface being yellowish orange to pale yellow or grayish white.
Histology— The rhizome shows an outer portion consisting of a brown epidermis,often necrosed,and 1to 3layers of brown to olive-brown suberized cells;a cortex about 20cells in width,consisting chiefly of nearly isodiametric cells,the cells containing single or compound starch grains and resin masses and,in scattered cells of the nodes,rosette aggregates of calcium oxalate;a circle of from 16to 34open collateral vascular bundles,separated by rather wide medullary rays,each bundle containing a few lignified vessels,a more or less distinct cambium,and a rather large phloem.The pith is large,the cells being more or less rounded and containing starch grains and reddish brown resin masses.The roots show an epidermal layer of brownish suberized cells and a single row of hypodermal cells;a broad cortex of thin-walled nearly isodiametric cells;a distinct endodermis of tangentially elongated cells having uniformly thickened walls;and a 4-to 7-rayed vascular bundle.
Powdered Podophyllum— It is pale brown to weak yellow and has a slight odor.It contains numerous starch grains,simple or 2-to 6-compound,the individual grains being spheroidal,plano-to angular-convex,or polygonal,up to 20µm in diameter;occasional rosette aggregates of calcium oxalate,up to 80µm in diameter;vessels with simple pits or reticulate thickenings;fragments of starch-and resin-bearing parenchyma and reddish brown to yellow cork cells.
Indian podophyllum— Podophyllum peltatumis differentiated from Podophyllum hexandrumRoyle (Indian podophyllum)by the reaction described in the test for Distinction from resin of Indian podophyllumunder Podophyllum Resin.
Acid-insoluble ash á561ñ: not more than 2.0%.
Organic volatile impurities,Method IVá467ñ: meets the requirements.
Foreign organic matter á561ñ: not more than 2.0%.
Assay— Place 10g of Podophyllum,in fine powder,in a 125-mLconical flask,add 35mLof alcohol,and reflux on a steam bath for 3hours.Transfer the mixture to a small percolator,and percolate slowly with warm alcohol until the percolate measures 95mL.Cool,add sufficient alcohol to the percolate to make it measure 100.0mL,and mix.Transfer 10.0mLof this percolate to a separator,and add 10mLof chloroform and 10mLof dilute hydrochloric acid (7in 500).Shake the mixture,allow it to separate,draw off the alcohol-chloroform layer into a second separator,and wash the acid layer with three 15-mLportions of a mixture of chloroform and alcohol (2:1),adding the washings to the second separator.Add 10mLof dilute hydrochloric acid (7in 500)to the combined extract and washings,again shake the mixture,allow it to separate,and draw off the alcohol-chloroform layer into a tared vessel.Wash the acid layer three times with 15-mLportions of the alcohol-chloroform mixture,adding the washings to the tared vessel.Evaporate the combined extracts on a steam bath to approximately 1mL,add 5mLof dehydrated alcohol,again evaporate to dryness,and dry the residue at 80for 4hours:the weight of this residue is the weight of resin in 1g of the Podophyllum taken.
Auxiliary Information— Staff Liaison:Gabriel I.Giancaspro,Ph.D.,Senior Scientist and Latin American Specialist
Expert Committee:(DSB)Dietary Supplements:Botanicals
USP28–NF23Page 1572
Phone Number:1-301-816-8343