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Resins and resins combination

The term resin is applied to more or less solid, amorphous

RESINS AND RESINS COMBINATIONS

products of complex chemical nature.

On heating they soften and finally melt.
They are insoluble in water but dissolve in alcohol or other

organic solvents.
Resins burn with a characteristic, smoky flame.
Present: Anacardiaceae, Burseraceae,

Dipterocarpaceae, Guttiferae, Hammamelidaceae,

Leguminosae, Liliaceae, Pinaceae, Styracaceae and
Umbelliferae.

Chemical composition
Chemically, resins are complex mixtures of resin acids, resin alcohols

(resinols), resin phenols (resinotannols), esters and chemically inert

compounds known as resenes.

Functions:

Resins are often associated with :

volatile oils (oleoresins) turpentine, copaiba
gums (gum-resins) oil and gum (oleo-gum-resins) asafetida & myrrh
sugars (glucoresins/glycoresins) - jalap & podophyllum

1. Serve the plant by preventing decay, which is due to their

high antiseptic qualities.
2. Lower the amount of water lost from the plant tissues.

Constituents
When resins are separated and purified they usually become

brittle, amorphous solids that fuse readily when heated .

Resins may be the final products in destructive metabolism
Many believed that they are the oxidation products of the
terpenes

1.

2.
3.
4.

RESIN ACIDS contain large proportions of oxyacids, usually

combining with carboxylic acids and phenols
- soluble in aqueous solutions of the alkalies, usually forming soap-like
solutions or colloidal suspensions.
Resinates are the resin acids metallic salts. Used in the manufacture
of cheap soaps and varnishes.
RESIN ALCOHOLS complex alcohols of high molecular weight
(Resinlos), give a tannin reaction with iron salts.
RESENES complex neutral substances devoid of characteristic
chemical properties. Insoluble in & resist hydrolysis by alkalies
GLYCORESINS complex mixtures yielding sugars and complex
resin acids on hydrolysis, as with the resin of jalap.

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Preparation
Preparation of resins
By extracting the drug with alcohol and precipitating the
resin in water.
2. By separating the oil from oleoresin by distillation
3. By collecting the natural product that has exuded as
oleoresin from the plant through natural oil has partially
evaporated
1.

Two general classes of resinous substances are recognized and

this classification is based on the method used in preparing

them:
1. Natural resins, occur as exudates from plants, produced
pathogenic conditions; example by artificial punctures
e.g. mastic; or deep cuts in the wood of the plant e.g.
turpentine, or by hammering and scorching, e.g. balsam
of Peru.

Classification of resins
2. Prepared resins; are obtained by different methods. The

drug containing resins is powdered and extracted with

alcohol till exhaustion. The Concentrated alcoholic extract is
either evaporated, or poured into water and the precipitated
resin is collected, washed and carefully dried.
In the preparation of oleoresins; ether or acetone having
lower boiling point are used. The volatile oil portion is
removed through distillation.
When the resin occurs associated with gum (gum-resins), the
resin is extracted with alcohol leaving the gum insoluble.

Resins are classified in three different ways:

1. Taxonomical classification, i.e. according to botanical origin,

e.g. Berberidaceae resins.

2. Classification according to predominating chemical constituent; e.g.

acid resins, resene resins, glycosidal resins; etc.

3. Resins may be classified according to the portion of the main

constituents of the resin or resin combination; e.g. resins,

oleoresins, oleogumresins, balsams.

Examples of resins and resin combination

Resins: colophony, cannabis.
Oleoresins: copaiba, ginger.
Oleo-gum-resins: asafetida, myrrh.
Balsams: balsam of Tolu, balsam of Peru.

Resin Drugs
ROSIN or COLOPHONY
Pinus palustris (Pinaceae)
Only light-colored transparent rosins are used medicinally.

Properties:
-shiny, sharp, angular fragments, translucent, amber-colored,
often covered with yellowish dust.
- hard, brittle, and easily pulverized.
- Odor and taste are faintly terebinthinate
- Soluble in alcohol, ether, benzol, CS2, CH3COOH, fixed and
volatile oils, and in solutions of K or NaOH.

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ROSIN

Indian Podophyllum

Uses: Stiffening agent in cerates, plasters, ointments

Diuretic in veterinary medicines
Manufacture of varnishes

- Podophyllum emodi

PODOPHYLLUM a.k.a. Mayapple or Mandrake

- Podophyllum peltatum (Berberidaceae)
Uses: Drastic purgative
Antimitotic
Caustic

- A.k.a. Podophyllum resin, Podophyllin

Uses: Caustic for certain papillomas

ERIODICTYON or Yerba Santa
- Eriodictyon californicum (Hydrophyllaceae)
Uses: Flavor used to disguise the bitterness of certain prepns.;
Quinine
Stimulating expectorant

JALAP or Jalap root

KAVA or Kava-kava

- Exogonium purga (Convulvolaceae)

- Piper methysticum (Piperaceae)

Uses: Cathartic
Hydragogue
Drastic purgative
MASTIC or Mastiche, Mastich
- Pistacia lentiscus (Anacardiaceae)
Use: Dental varnish to seal cavities

Properties: Centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxant

Antipyretic
Local anesthetic

CANNABIS

OLEORESIN

2 Genetic types:
1. THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol euphoric activity
2. Cannabidiol or Hemp type has elongated bast fibers
desired in the manufacture of rope.
- weakly active
Dronabinol is used for the control of nausea in cancer
chemotherapy

Homogenous mixtures of resins and volatile oils

They may be liquid, semi-solid, or solid.

CANNABIS or Indian hemp, marihuana, pot

- Cannabis sativa (Moraceae)
- A.k.a. Hashish (resin)

Turpentine or Gum Turpentine or Gum Thus

- Pinus palustris (Pinaceae)
- Yellowish, opaque masses that are lighter internally, more or less

glossy, sticky when warm, and brittle in the cold.

- Characteristic taste and odor

- Freely soluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform and glacial

CH3COOH

- Contains volatile oils and resin

USE: counterirritant

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Ginger
Capsicum or Cayenne pepper
- Capsicum frutescens
- contains Capsaicin (a phenol with an extremely
pungent principle, in the dissepiments of the
fruit)
USE: irritant and carminative
rubefacient, stimulant and condiment

Copaiba of Balsam Copaiba

Oleoresin is formed in

schizolysigenous
cavities of the wood.
USES:
Genitourinary
disinfectant, diuretic,
stimulant, expectorant
and laxative

Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae)

Constituents are 3 Sesquiterpenes:

1. Bisabolene
2. Zingiberene
3. Zingiberol
The pungency is due to the ginger oleoresin
USES:
Flavor, condiment, aromatic stimulant and carmminative

OLEO-GUM-RESINS
Are mixtures of resin, gum, volatile oil, and small quantities

of other substances

Ex. Myrrh and Asafetida

MYRRH(bitter)
-Commiphora molmol (Burseraceae)
- Yellowish in color and soon becomes darker and harder
and is then collected
USES:
Protective, stimulant and stomachic, antiseptic,
mouthwashes as an astringent

Balsams

Storax

Balsams are resinous mixtures that contain large proportions

A.k.a. Liquid storax or Styrax

of cinnamic acid, benzoic acid or both or esters of these

acids.
The term balsam is often wrongly applied to oleoresins and
should be reserved for such substances as balsam of Peru,
balsam of Tolu and storax, which contain a high proportion of
aromatic balsamic acids.

Liquidambar orientalis (Hammamelidaceae)

USES: Pharmaceutic aid for compound benzoin tincture, stimulant,

expectorant and an antiseptic

Peruvian Balsam or Peru Balsam

- Myroxylon pereirae (Leguminosae)
- Dark brown, viscid liquid that appears reddish brown and

transparent in thin layers.

- Free from stringiness or stickiness and has an empyreumatic,

aromatic, vanillalike odor and a bitter, acrid, persistent taste.

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Peruvian Balsam

BENZOIN

USES: local protectant, rubefacient, parasiticide in

certain skin diseases and antiseptic; It is employed
for its astringent properties to treat hemorrhoids.

- Balsamic resin is obtained from Styrax benzoin (Styraceae)

Tolu Balsam
-Myroxylon balsamum (Leguminosae)
- Plastic solid that gradually hardens, becoming
brown or yellowish brown
- Transparent in thin layers, brittle when old,
dried, or exposed to cold
- Agreeably aromatic odor, like vanilla; taste is
aromatic and slightly pungent
USES:
Pharmaceutic aid for compound benzoin tincture,
expectorant, pleasant flavoring in syrups,
confectionery, chewing gum and perfumery.

Constituents:
- Coniferyl benzoate (60-70%)
- Free benzoic acid (10%)
- Triterpene, siaresinol (6%)
- Vanillin
USES:
Antiseptic, stimulant, expectorant, diuretic (properties)

Benzoic Acid
Synthetic product obtained by sublimation from Sumatra

benzoin
White crystals usually in the form of scales and needles
Slight odor of benzoin, volatile at moderate temps.

USES:
- Preservatives of foods, drinks, fats, pharmaceutic prepns.
- anti-fungal agent
- Ingredient in benzoic acids ointment(Whitfields ointment)
effective for athletes foot and ringworm