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Cascara Sagrada Extract
» Cascara Sagrada Extract contains, in each 100 g, not less than 10.0 g and not more than 12.0 g of hydroxyanthracene derivatives, of which not less than 50 percent consists of cascarosides, both calculated as cascaroside A.
Mix 900 g of Cascara Sagrada, in coarse powder, with 4000 mL of boiling water, and macerate the mixture for 3 hours. Then transfer it to a percolator, allow it to drain, exhaust it by percolation, using boiling water as the menstruum, and collect about 5000 mL of percolate. Evaporate the percolate to dryness, reduce the extract to a fine powder, and, after assaying, add sufficient starch, dried at 100, or other inert, nontoxic diluents to make the product contain, in each 100 g, 11 g of hydroxyanthracene derivatives. Mix the powders, and pass the Extract through a number 60 sieve.
Packaging and storage— Preserve in tight, light-resistant containers, at a temperature not exceeding 30.
Residual solvents 467: meets the requirements.
(Official January 1, 2007)
Assay for cascarosides— [NOTE 1—Perform all extractions by shaking vigorously, and allow all phases to separate completely before transferring. Entrainment of aglycones into the aqueous phase, as indicated by a value of less than 2.7 for the ratio of the absorbance of the final solution at 515 nm to that at 440 nm, may lead to false results. NOTE 2—Throughout this assay, use 1 N sodium hydroxide that is prepared without added barium ions as directed for Volumetric Solutions under Reagents, Indicators, and Solutions.]
Ferric chloride solution— Dissolve 100 g of ferric chloride in water to make 100 mL.
Assay solution— Accurately weigh about 1 g of Extract, and transfer to a 100-mL volumetric flask. Add about 60 mL of 70 percent alcohol, swirl or sonicate for 15 to 20 minutes, several times, allow to stand overnight, sonicate or swirl for 10 to 15 minutes, dilute with 70 percent alcohol to volume, mix, and filter through suitable filter paper.
Assay preparation— Prepare as directed for Assay preparation in the Assay for cascarosides under Cascara Sagrada.
Procedure— Pipet 25 mL of Assay preparation into a flask containing 2 mL of Ferric chloride solution and 12 mL of hydrochloric acid. Proceed as directed for Procedure in the Assay for cascarosides under Cascara Sagrada, beginning with “Attach a condenser arranged for refluxing, and heat for 3 hours.” Calculate the quantity, in mg, of cascarosides in the portion of Extract taken by the formula:
62.06AU,
in which AU is the absorbance of the solution from the Assay preparation.
Assay for total hydroxyanthracene derivatives— [NOTE 1—Perform all extractions by shaking vigorously, and allow all phases to separate completely before transferring. Entrainment of aglycones into the aqueous phase, as indicated by a value of less than 2.6 for the ratio of the absorbance of the final solution at 515 nm to that at 440 nm, may lead to false results. NOTE 2—Throughout this assay, use 1 N sodium hydroxide that is prepared without added barium ions as directed for Volumetric Solutions under Reagents, Indicators, and Solutions.]
Ferric chloride solution and Assay solution—Prepare as directed in the Assay for cascarosides.
Assay preparation— Prepare as directed for Assay preparation in the Assay for total hydroxyanthracene derivatives under Cascara Sagrada.
Procedure— Pipet 10 mL of Assay preparation into a flask containing 2 mL of Ferric chloride solution and 12 mL of hydrochloric acid. Proceed as directed for Procedure in the Assay for cascarosides under Cascara Sagrada, beginning with “Attach a condenser arranged for refluxing, and heat for 3 hours.” Calculate the quantity, in mg, of total hydroxyanthracene derivatives in the portion of Extract taken by the formula:
155.2AU,
in which AU is the absorbance of the solution from the Assay preparation.
Auxiliary Information— Staff Liaison : Maged H. Sharaf, Ph.D., Senior Scientist
Expert Committee : (DSB05) Dietary Supplements - Botanicals
USP29–NF24 Page 397
Phone Number : 1-301-816-8318