An attempt has been made to develop and validate a simultaneous HPLC method for novel approach of drug release via oil-in-water (o/w) nanoemulsion formulation and Habb-e-Khardal Unani tablet containing piperine and guggul sterones E and Z as main ingredients. Nanoemulsion was prepared by titration method using sefsol-218 as an oily phase, cremophor-EL as a surfactant, transcutol as a co-surfactant and distilled water as an aqueous phase. The formulation was optimized on the basis of thermodynamic stability and dispersibilty test. The nanoformulation was evaluated for particle size, surface morphology, electrical conductivity and viscosity determination. The in vitro dissolution was carried out by dialysis bag method. Drugs were quantified using an HPLC method developed in-house with a C(18) column as stationary phase and acetonitrile and water as mobile phase at λ(max) of 240 nm. The optimized formulation showed higher drug release, lower droplet size and less viscosity as compared with the conventional Habb-e-Khardal Unani tablet. The present study illustrated the potential of nanoemulsion dosage form in improving biopharmaceutic performance of piperine and guggul sterone. The HPLC method was also found to be quite sufficient for the routine quality control of formulations containing piperine and guggul sterone E and Z as ingredients and also for in vitro drug release studies.

The Unani system of Medicine (Unanipathy), which originated in Greece, is based on the principles proposed by Galen, a Greek practitioner. Since then, many Arab and Persian scholars have contributed to the system. Among them Ibn-e-Sina, an Arab philosopher and Physicist who wrote ‘Kitab-al-shifa’ are worth mentioning. This system has an extensive and inspiring record in India. It was introduced in India around the tenth century A.D with the spread of Islamic civilization. At present, Unanipathy has become an important part of the Indian system of Medicine. Unani medicines have been used since ancient times, as medicines for the treatment of various ailments. In spite of the great advances observed in modern medicine in recent decades, Unani drugs still make an important contribution to healthcare. The Unani system of medicine is matchless in treating chronic diseases like arthritis, asthma, mental, cardiac, and digestive disorders, urinary infections, and sexual diseases. The medicines administered go well with the temperament of the patient, thus speeding up the process of recovery and also reducing the risk of drug reaction. The Unani system of medicine recognizes the influence of the surroundings and ecological conditions on the state of health of human beings. The system aims at restoring the equilibrium of various elements and faculties of the human body. It has laid down six essential prerequisites for the prevention of diseases and places great emphasis, on the one hand, on the maintenance of proper ecological balance, and on the other, on keeping water, food, and air free from pollution. These essentials, known as ‘Asbab-e-Sitta Zarooriya’, are air, food, and drink, bodily movement and repose, psychic movement and repose, sleep and wakefulness, and excretion and retention. The Unani system is a secular system in temperament and is popular among the masses. In Unani medicine, although the general preference is for single drugs, compound formulations are also used in the treatment of various complex and chronic disorders. In the light of the present knowledge, this review is a small effort to discuss the efficacious nature of ‘Khamira’, a semi-solid preparation, which is traditionally used for cardiac ailments, such as, palpitations, weakness of the heart, and so on. On the basis of their constituents these are named as, Khamira Aabresham, Khamira Gaozaban, Khamira Marwareed, and so on. Khameeras are also used as general tonics for other vital organs like the liver and brain. In view of the increasing number of cardiac diseases, a thorough evaluation of this ancient work on Khamira is of special significance.

A simple, economic, selective, precise and robust method has been developed and validated for the analysis of glabridin in crude drugs and polyherbal formulations. Reversed-phase chromatography is performed on a C18 column with water and acetonitrile as mobile phase in gradient elution method at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. Detection is performed at 230 nm and a sharp peak is obtained for glabridin at a retention time of 14.9 + + + + + 0.02 min. Linear regression analysis data for the calibration plot showed a good linear relationship between response and concentration in the range of 1-500 mg/mL; the regression coefficient is 0.9992 and the linear regression equation is y 5 26.683x-142.17. The method is validated for accuracy, precision, reproducibility, robustness and detection and quantification limits, in accordance with International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. Statistical analysis proved that the method is precise, reproducible, selective and accurate for the analysis of glabridin. The proposed, developed and validated high-performance liquid chromatography method for the quantification of glabridin can be used for the quality control and standardization of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn.) and different herbal formulations in which licorice is present as a constituent.

Summary. Andrographolide and betulinic acid are the terpenoids having potential anticancer activity. The cytotoxicity activity of both the drugs was carried out separately and in combination on liver cancer HepG2 cell lines. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) methods were developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of these two terpenoids as per the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines, which was applied for quantification in nanoformulation. The retention time by HPLC and retardation factor by HPTLC for andrographolide and betulinic acid were found to be 2.2 and 6.6 min, and 0.24 ± 0.01 and 0.66 ± 0.01, respectively. Both the methods were validated for accuracy, precision, repeatability, robustness, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantitation (LOQ). The content of andrographolide and betulinic acid in nanoformulation was found to be 96.0% and 98.0% by HPLC and 96.59% and 98.33% by HPTLC, respectively, of labelled claim.

A validated reversed-phase HPLC method has been developed for quantitative analysis of berberine in Berberis aristata fruits and in a polyherbal formulation. Separation of berberine was achieved on a C 18 column with a mobile phase consisting of a 10-80% acetonitrile gradient in 0.05% aqueous orthophosphoric acid. The flow rate was 1 mL min −1 . Detection was at 266 nm. A sharp, well defined peak was obtained at a retention time of 10.0 ± 0.4 min. The method was validated in accordance with ICH guidelines for accuracy, precision, robustness, and the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ). Results from linear regression analysis were indicative of a good linear relationship (r 2 = 0.998 ± 0.0011) in a wide concentration range (5-500 μg mL −1 ). LOD and LOQ were 1.5 and 5.3 μg mL −1 , respectively. Satisfactory recovery results (94.6-103.1%) were obtained by the method of standard addition. Intra-day, inter-day, and intersystem precision was satisfactory, with relative standard deviation in the range 0.7-1.8%. The berberine content of fruit of Berberis aristata and the herbal formulation were 0.033% and 0.0089% (w/w), respectively. This HPLC method for quantification of berberine can be used for quality control and standardization of several crude drugs and different herbal formulations in which berberine is present as a phyto constituent.