Fatty-Acid Composition of Aqueous Extracts of Mumiyo and Roots of Rhodiola Semenovii

Abstract

547.915;615.322.616 Rhodiola Semenovii (Rgl. et Herd.) Boriss. (Semenov rhodiola) (Crassulaceae) is used in folk medicine for gastrointestinal diseases and tuberculosis. However, its chemical composition is little studied [1].Mumiyo is a natural product and is also used in medicinal preparations [2]. The goal of our work was to isolate and study the composition of fatty acids in aqueous extracts of Rhodiola roots, mumiyo, and a substance prepared from them. Aqueous extracts were obtained by boiling Rhodiola roots and mumiyo [3]. The fatty-acid composition of the aqueous extract of Rhodiola roots has not been reported.Lipids from the air-dried extracts were extracted three times by CHCl 3 :CH 3 OH (2:1), stirring each time on a magnetic stirrer for 1 h. Then, lipid extracts were combined and washed of nonlipid components using aqueous CaCl 2 (0.04%). The CHCl 3 was removed. The total lipids were hydrolyzed by KOH in CH 3 OH (10%) with refluxing on a boiling water bath. The reaction mixture was cooled and treated with distilled water (10-15 mL) and H 2 SO 4 solution (10%) until the reaction mixture was acidic. The released fatty acids were extracted three times with diethylether. The ether was distilled off. The fatty acids were converted to the methyl esters using diazomethane [4].The total fatty-acid methyl esters were purified of ballast substances by TLC on silica gel using hexane:ether (8:2). The methyl-ester band (R f 0.85) was collected and eluted from the silica gel using CHCl 3 . The solvent was removed. The yields of methyl esters from the studied specimens were as follows (mass %): extract of R. Semenovii root, 0.55; mumiyo, 0.75; substance, 0.72.Next the methyl esters were dissolved in hexane (0.1 mL) and chromatographed in a Chrom-5 instrument with a flameionization detector using a steel column (2.5 m) of internal diameter 4 mm packed with Reoplex 400 (15%) on Inerton N-AW at 194°C and vaporizer temperature 260°C. The carrier gas was N 2 and H 2 at 30 mL/min. Table 1 lists the fatty-acid composition of the substance and its components. TABLE 1. Fatty-Acid Composition of Extracts, mass % Acid Rhodiola Mumiyo Substance Caprylic (8:0) Caprinic (10:0) Lauric (12:0) Tridecanoic (13:0) Myristic (14:0) Pentadecanoic (15:0) Palmitic (16:0) Palmitoleic (16:1) Margaric (17:0) Steric (18:0) Oleic (18:1) Linoleic (18:2) Linolenic (18:3) Arachic (20:0) Σ sat.

Review on shilajit used in traditional Indian medicine

“…1 and 2) physiologically active organic matter exuded from steep rocks in mountainous regions of the world (Garedew et al, 2004) especially in Central Asia (Himalaya, Pamir and Altai) and of unclear age (Ghosal, 1990;Kwon et al, 2004;Sharma, 2004;Scholz-Böttcher et al, 2005). In other words, shilajit is a tarry, solid or elastic natural product (Rakhmatullaeva and Aminov, 2005) typically in the form of shapeless pieces with non-uniformly porous or smooth surface having a characteristic balsamic odour (Frolova and Kiseleva, 1996). The organic exudate may vary in colour from blackish to brown and is found at high altitudes between 1000 and 5000 m on the walls of caves embedded in rocks or as rock exudates with specific weather conditions concerning summer and winter temperatures, duration of sunshine and amount of precipitation (Ali et al, 2004;Garedew et al, 2004).…”

A Powerful Molecule of Ayurveda Science

“…[2] Shilajit is a blackish, physiologically active and tacky organic substance that is found in rocks in many different parts of mountainous area [3] , and its antiquity is unknown [1,[4][5][6] Shilajit, to put it another way, is elastic in nature, solid, tarry and naturally obtained substance. [7] It is found in undefined bits that have a surface that is either non-uniformly porous and smooth and emits a smell that is reminiscent of balsamic vinegar. These bits also have no discernible shape.…”