Page 142 - Pharmacognosy-II (06-PG 303)

Subterranean stems containing lignans
Podophyllum

(May Apple root, American Mandrake)

• Botanical origin: Podophyllum Resin is the resin obtained from rhizomes
and roots of Podophyllum hexandrum Royle (P. emodi Wall.)
(Berberidaceae).

• It contains not less than 50.0% of total aryltetralin lignans, calculated as
podophyllotoxin.

• Rhizome are subcylindrical, with enlargements at intervals which have on
the upper surface a stem-scar and on the under-surface small circular root-
scars.

Constituents
• Resin of Podophyllum (podophyllin):
• American podophyllum resin contains podophyllotoxin (20%), β-peltatin
(10%) and α- peltatin (5%)
• Indian podophyllum resin contains mainly podophyllotoxin (up to 40%),
with only traces of peltatins.

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