Traditionally, ivy leaf (Hedera helix) has been used for a large number of ailments. In the 19th century, water-based extract of young leaves was used for respiratory diseases. The aim of the current study was to quantify the triterpene saponin named hederacoside C of ivy leaf spray-dried extract of Hedera helix using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method coupled with UV-visible detector. The solvent system consisted of solvent A (phosphoric Acid 85%: acetonitrile: water with the ratio of 2: 140: 860) and solvent B (phosphoric acid 85%: acetonitrile with the ratio of 2:998). A gradient elution was used for separation at 205 nm at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. The separation was performed using a C18 column at a temperature of 40°C. The method was validated as per ICH guidelines for precision, accuracy, recovery, ruggedness, and robustness. The method was found to be precise, accurate, robust, and reproducible according to the guidelines of United States Pharmacopeia 2014 and European Pharmacopeia 8.0. The content of triterpene saponins was found to be 17.6%. Despite many studies reported on the method development and quantification of compounds of Hedera helix, there is insufficient work reported on the spray-dried extracts of this plant. This study quantifies the hederacoside C from the spray-dried extract of the plant by developing an accurate, cheap, robust, and precise method. The proposed method can be of significant usage in the pharmaceutical industry.

The use of herbal medicines has tremendously grown over the past few years. Owing to their safety, they are more preferred over conventional allopathic medicine. Plant-based therapies have significantly improved and protected human health. Additionally, dry powdered herbal medications are more effective than liquid extracts. The numerous claims are not backed up by any data that can be verified. It is the first time that the activity of Tribulus Terrestris spray-dried extract has been linked to acute and suba-cute oral toxicity. The objective of the current work was to investigate the acute and sub-acute toxicity of spray-dried extract (SDE) of Tribulus terrestris. For acute toxicity, two different doses, i.e., 2000 and 5000 mg/kg, were given to the female Wistar rats. Only one dose was administered and each animal was observed for any signs of mortality along with behavioral changes and physical symptoms for 2 weeks. Multiple doses of the SDE were given to the Wistar (both genders) rats for 28 days in the sub-acute toxicity. Animals of both the genders received 500, 1000, and 1500 mg/kg/day SDE doses for 28 days consecutively. Blood samples were obtained for biochemical and hematological analysis on the 29th day of the experiment, following which subjects were sacrificed for the histopathological examination. The results of acute toxicity revealed no signs of morbidity and mortality in rats. Similar results were recorded in the sub-acute toxicity. Mild variations were observed at 1000 and 1500 mg/kg/day, however results were non-significant. The SDE of Tribulus terrestris did not show any significant harmful effects in the treated animals after 14 and 28 days of treatment. Therefore, SDE of Tribulus terrestris can be safely employed in pharmaceutical formulations for therapeutic use, addressing further safety in chronic and sub-chronic study.