Herbal Research Services

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Herbal Research Services

Before your eyes screen this page for our expertise in herbal research, ask yourself about

  • Whether isolation of phytochemicals (e.g., isolation of flavonoids by column chromatography) or HPTLC analysis of plant extracts (enriched fractions) – the challenging tasks?
  • Is it feasible to perform and interpret pharmacognostic studies and phytochemical analysis of medicinal plant extracts, and correlate the results?
  • Is the available plant extraction protocol really helpful and cost-effective in the preparation of extracts from plants?

If you deem, you have troubles, then take the expert support from our herbal testing laboratory!

What makes CogniBrain the most preferred point for the extraction of active compounds from plants?

We have highly proficient herbal research scientists for rapid and hi-tech extraction of plant constituents through HPTLC, high-performance column chromatography for plant extracts. Besides, our commitment towards first-rate service is the key driving factor for our proficiency in the medicinal plant research domain.

Our Specialty Areas in Herbal Research

Procurement and Processing

  • Tactical harvesting
  • Authenticated collection
  • Apposite washing and drying
  • Coarse or fine pulverization
  • Graded sieving
  • Careful compression
  • Methodical crushing & filtration
  • Impeccable storage

Preliminary Phytochemical Screening

This involves detection of alkaloids, polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, glycosides, proteins and amino acids, etc through systematic phytochemical analysis of various whole plants or their parts (leaf, bark, seed, root, fruit, flower, latex, gum and resin, etc.

Extraction/ Isolation by Chromatographic and other Advanced Techniques

  • Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC)
  • High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
  • High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC)
  • Gas Chromatography (GC)
  • Counter-current Extraction (CCE)
  • Liquid–liquid Extraction (LLE)
  • Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE)
  • Solid Phase Micro-extraction (SPME)
  • Ultrasonication
  • Phytonics

Evaluation of Physico-chemical and Fluorescent Characteristics

  • Loss on drying
  • Swelling index
  • Ash value
  • Extractive value
  • Foreign matter
  • Saponification value
  • Acid value
  • Day-light Vs UV examination

Pharmacognostic Studies

Morphological Studies
Assessment of macroscopic/ organoleptic characteristics including colour, odour, taste, size, shape, texture and special features (e.g., venation, margin, etc.).

Histological Studies
Assessment of microscopic characteristics (through sectioning; T.S., L.S.) including cell and fiber types, and special features (e.g., cuticle, stone cells, starch grains, stomata, trichomes, calcium oxalate crystals, etc.).

Preparation of Crude Extracts/ Galenicals and Enriched Fractions

  • Simple extraction (maceration, percolation, infusion, digestion and decoction)
  • Extraction by fermentation (e.g., for dasmularistas, red wine polyphenols, etc.)
  • Distillation (for essential/ volatile oils; e.g., citronella oil from Cymbopogon nardus)
  • Microwave-assisted extraction (e.g., for vanillin from Vanilla planifolia pods)
  • Ultrasound extraction/ sonication (e.g., for ginsenosides from American Ginseng)
  • Pilular extraction (e.g., Glycyrrhiza Extract USP)
  • Hot Continuous Extraction/ Soxhlation (e.g., gum from Acacia arabica)
  • Preparation of tinctures (e.g., Compound Benzoin Tincture USP)
  • Preparation of powdered extracts (e.g., Belladonna Extract USP)
  • Preparation of enriched fractions (e.g. prodelphinidins from Green Tea)

Bioassay-Guided Fractionation

  • Pharmacology-based studies
  • Toxicity-based studies
  • Bioautographic screening

Semi-synthetic Drug-Chemistry

  • Synthesis and evaluation (e.g., semi-synthesis of artemether)

Spectral Analysis of Phytochemicals

  • UV-Visible
  • FT-IR
  • Mass
  • NMR (13C-NMR & 1H-NMR)

Herbal Formulation & Evaluation

  • Allopathic dosage forms (e.g., tablets, ointments, etc.)
  • Conventional-Indian dosage forms (e.g., Asawas, Bhasmas, Arishtas, Choornas, Guti-vati, Aveleha, etc.)

In-vitro Herbal Drug Screening

  • Antibacterial studies
  • Antifungal studies
  • Antioxidant studies
  • Enzyme inhibition studies

In-vivo Toxicity and Dose-fixation Studies

  • Acute & sub-acute toxicity studies (OECD)
  • Chronic & sub-chronic toxicity studies (OECD)
  • Dose-fixation studies

Herb and Drug Interaction Studies

  • Metabolizing enzymes (e.g., cytochrome P450s (CYPs))
  • Transporters (e.g., P-glycoprotein (P-gp))

Extraction of herbal drugs and scrutinizing their potential in the preclinical research is a holistic art

The best ethnopharmacological researchers say that finest isolation of phytochemicals from medicinal plants in not just the end-stage chromatographic process. It should start from the raw plant material collection and processing, before the plant material is subjected to the simple percolation-based extraction or HPLC/ HPTLC separation.

Bio-assay guided extraction of flavonoids from plants or isolation of alkaloids from root barks – Whatever it is. A proper protocol, laboratory expertise and complete sophistication are all obligatory for the effective phytochemical isolation.Why wait, despite you have us with you? Sign-up now and get your work done professionally and gainfully.