ADVANCED PHARMACOGNOSY

AND
PHYTOCHEMISTRY

SEMINAR ON
“PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF RESIN”

Supervised by: Inder makhija

Dr. M. Manjunath setty 090605015
Associate professor
 CONTENT
1. Introduction
2. Distribution of resin in plant
3. Properties of resin
4. Classification of resin
5. Isolation of resin
6. Estimation of resin
7. Biosynthesis of resin
8. Specific test for resin
9. Natural product containing resin
 INTRODUCTION
Resin are amorphous or transparent or translucent
solids, semisolid or liquid substance containing large
number of carbon atom. They are usually formed in

schizogenous ducts or cavities and are end product of
metabolism.
Formation of resin: Generally the resin in plant is
formed in special passages or tubes called resin ducts.
These ducts are anastomose and so a single incision
can drain the resin from a considerable area of the plant.
1) Physiologically produced resin
Plant which contain numerous resin ducts and
although tapping is necessary to drain the ducts
eg. Copaiba,
cannabis (glandular hair),
ginger (idioblast cell)

2) Pathologically produced resin

some plant do not have secretary structure, so
resin in these plant as a result of injury
eg. Balsam of tolu
 DISTRIBUTION OF RESIN IN
PLANT
 Distributed throughout the entire plant Kingdom,
specifically the spermatophyta i.e. the seed plants.

 Notably, their present in almost rare and practically

negligible in the Pteridophyta i.e. the ferns and
their allies.

 However, the resins have not been reported in the

Thallophyta i.e. the sea weeds, fungi etc.
In general, the most important and extensively
studied resin – containing families are namely:

Dipterocarpaceae
Pinaceae Leguminosae
(Colophony or (Tolu balsam & (“Garijan” - 
Rosin) Balsam of peru) balsam substitute
for Copaiba)

Burseraceae Umbelliferae
(Myrrh) (Asafoetida).
 PROPERTIES OF
RESIN
A. Physical properties
 All resins are heavier than water.
 They are usually hard, brittle, transparent or
translucent solids; some are slightly soft
semisolids or liquid substances.
 They are electrically non-conductive and
combustible masses.
 When heated they soften and fuse yielding a clear,
adhesive fluids.
 They burn with smoky flame.
B. Behaviour towards solvent

 Resins are insoluble in water

 Generally soluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform,

acetone, carbon disulfide, solution of chloral
hydrate, fixed and volatile oils.
C. Chemical properties

 Resins are complex mixtures of different type of

substances; these include acids, esters, glycosidic
bodies and in different substances called as
resenes.

 The element nitrogen does not enter into the

composition of any resin constituent.

 Many resins when boiled with alkalies yield soaps

which are termed resin soaps.
 CLASSIFICATION OF
RESIN
BASED ON CHEMICAL NATURE BASED ON
OCCURENCES

Resin Resin Oleoresins • Copaiba

acids alcohol • Ginger

Resenes Glycoresin Oleo-gum- • Asafoetida

resins • Myrrh
Resin
ester • Balsum of peru
Balsams
• Balsam of tolu
A.Resin acids
E.g. i) α, β, and γ- Abetic acid (93%) colophony
iii) α, β, and γ- Commiphoric acid in myrrh

B. Resin alcohol
E.g. i) Benzoresinol from benzoin
ii) Storesinol from storax
Resinotannols :
E.g. i) Aloeresinotannol from aloe
ii) Peruresinotannol from balsam of peru
C. Resenes
 Complex neutral substance devoid of
characterizes chemical properties.
 Do not form salts or esters , resist hydrolysis by
alkalies.

D. Glycoresins
E.g. Jalap and podophyllum

E. Resin esters
E.g. Benzyl benzoate in benzoin
 ISOLATION OF RESIN
1. By heating plant part
E.g. Guaiacum
A log of the wood is supported in a horizontal position
above the ground by two upright bars.

Log is then set on fire, large incision made in the middle

The melted resin runs out therefrom in considerable

abundance
2. By processing the encrustations
E.g. Shellac is a resinous substance prepared from
an excretion from the bodies of scale insects of the
species.
c) By percolation with alcohol and precipitation
with water.
E.g. podophyllum and ipomoea

d) By distillation for separation of oil.

E.g. copaiba and colophony

e) As plant exudates by incisions.

E.g. myrrh, asafoetida and balsams
 ESTIMATION OF RESIN
1) Estimation by Spectrophotometer: E.g. Guggul
a)Take 2.5g sample of guggul extract in 250ml R.B. flask
+ 0.5 N alcoholic KOH and reflux for 90 minutes.
b) Transfer the content of flask to a separator, Extract
with Petroleum ether .
c) Combine petroleum ether washings and wash with
water evaporate the petroleum ether and weigh the
residue.
d) Weigh accurately 0.1g of above residue and make it
to 10ml by spectrophotometric grade MeOH, Dilute 1
ml of above solution to 10ml with MeOH and measure
absorbance at 327 nm using MeOH as blank.
Emax 1% cm path at 327 nm is 160.
2) Estimation by Non-aqueous titration
E.g. Boswellia Serrata
a) Reagent
 Dry DMF as solvent
 Standard 0.1 (N) potassium methoxide
 Primary standard Benzoic acid AR
 Indicator – thymol blue
b) 200mg of powdered drug, take in conical flask +
50ml of DMF and 4 drops of thymol blue indicator
c) solution titrated with 0.1 (N) potassium methoxide
solution till the blue end point. Blank titration was
performed. Results obtained. Each ml of 0.1 (N)
potassium methoxide  0.0456 gm of boswellic
acid.
3) RP – HPLC E.g.Podophyllotoxin
a) Plant material extracted thrice with MeOH,
b) The extracts were combined filtered and dried under vacuum.
The concentrate was redissolved in HPLC – grade MeOH for
quantitative analysis.
c) Methanol extract was resinified with acid H2O. The precipitated
resin was redissolved in HPLC grade MeOH.

Column used: Lichrosper Flow rate : 1 ml / min

Run time: 20 min Detection wavelength: 230nm
Solvent system: Acetonitrile : H2O (4:6)

d) Podophylloltoxin content analysis in the extract and resin was

performed by the extract standard MeOH, using pure
podophyllotoxin as standard.

Peak area percentages and extinction co-efficient were calculated

from chromatograms of standard detected at 230nm.
 TESTS FOR SPECIFIC RESINS

 Benzoin: a) To 2.5gm benzoin, add 10ml of ether, shake

it well and pour 2-3 ml of this extract in a porcelain dish,
add 2-3 drops H2SO4.
deep brown colour = sumatra benzoin
deep purplish red colour = Siam benzoin.

 Colophony: a) Dissolve colophony in light petroleum

ether and double the volume with dilute solution of copper
acetate, petroleum layer takes emerald green colour (due
to copper salt of abietic acid)

 Myrrh: a) Triturated with water yellowish emulsion

b) Dry ethereal extract when treated with bromine vapour

reddish in colour
 BIOSYNTHESIS OF RESIN COMPONENTS
 The exact chemical identity of most constituents of
resin mixtures is unknown, thus detailed
information on the biosynthesis of these plant
constituents is necessary lacking.

 Many resin components are considered to arise by

oxidation of polymerized terpenoid metabolites. It
is known that acetate and mevalonate are
incorporated into some resins.
 Biosynthesis of capsaicin from phenyl propanoid
pathway and valine pathway
Sr.No. Name of drug and Biological source Active constituents
synonym
1. Podophyllum resin Podophyllum hexandrum Resin,
P. emodi (Berberidaceae) podophyllotoxin

2. Colophony Pinus species (Pinaceae) Resin acids, abietic

acid, resene
3. Jalap Ipomoea purga Resin, volatile oil,
(Convolvulaceae) jalapin, convolvulin
4. Cannabis Cannabis sativa Resin,
(Cannabinaceae) tetrahydrocannabinol

OLEORESIN
1. Ginger Zingiber officinale Gingerol, shogaol,
(Zingiberaceae) zingerone
2. Capsicum - Capsicum annum Capsanthin, capsaicin
(Solanaceae)
3. Copaiba Copaifera species resin acids
(Leguminosae)
 OLEO-GUM RESINS
1. Myrrh Commiphora molmol Volatile oil, gum, resin,
(Burserraceae) commiphoric acids

2. Asafoetida Ferula foetida (Umbelliferae) asaresinotannol

 BALSAMS
Sr.No. Name of drug and synonym Biological source Active constituents

1. Benzoin -Styrax benzoin Benzoic and

(Sumatra benzoin), cinnamic acids and
Styrax tonkinensis their esters,
(Siam benzoin) sumaresinolic and
(styraceae) siaresinolic acid,
coniferyl acetate

2. Tolu balsam Myroxylon Cinnamic acid,

balsumum benzoic acid,
(Leguminaceae) benzoyl benzoate,
toluresinotannol,
volatile oil
3. Storax Liquidamber Resin (storesin) free
orientalis and cinnamic ester
(Hamamelidaceae)
 REFERENCE
 A Textbook of Pharmacognosy by T.C. Denston;
5th edition 1950; page no. 469-472
 Pharmacognosy by Edward.P.Claus, V.E.Tyler,
L.R.Brady; 6th edition 1970; page no. 201-219
 The Practical Evaluation of Phytopharmaceuticals
by K.R.Brain and T.D.Turner; page no. 60, 145
 British Pharmacopoeia; vol-1 2005; page no. 231
 Modern Pharmacognosy by T.E.Wallis; 5th edition
1985; page no-483-485
 Pharmacognosy by C.K.Kokate, A.P.Purohit,
S.B.Gokhale; 22nd edition 1990; page no-392-395
THANK YOU