Oleo-gum Resins
Refah Alghamdi & Shahad Alsuwat
what are the Oleo-gum-Resins ?
Introduction
Oleo-Gum-Resins:
The oleo-gum-resins are the naturally occurring mixture of resin, gum, volatile oil and mostly small quantities of other substances. There are some potent oleo-gum-resins which exhibit remarkable medicinal values. A few such drugs like: Asafoetida, Ammoniacum, Myrrh, Frankincense and so on.
1. Asafoetida
Asafoetide
- Biological Source : The oleo-gum-resin of Asafoetida is obtained as an exudation of the decapitated rhizome on roots of Ferula assafoetida.
Family: Umbelliferae (Apiaceae).
Active Constituents :
Constituents
Volatile oil
The volatile oil essentially consists of some organic sulphides ( )
solely responsible for attributing the characteristic garlic-like odour.
Resins 40-60%
The resin cousists of notannol, asaresinotannol i.e., the resin alcohols, which are present partially in the free state and partially in the combined form with ferulic acid.
Tests
1. It forms an instant milky-white emulsion when triturated with water to the presence of gum.
2. The freshly fractured surface when treated with a drop of sulphuric acid (conc.), it gives rise to a reddish-brown colour which on being washed with water changes to violet colouration.
3. Likewise, when the freshly fractured surface is treated with nitric acid (50%), it produces a green colour readily.
4. Boil 1 g asafoetida powder with HCl (50%), filter and make the filtrate strongly alkaline with NH4OH (conc.), it gives a blue fluorescence. It is also known as the Umbelliferone Test
Uses :
Uses
Condiment and
flavouring gent .
Powerful nerving stimulant
Repellant against dogs, cats, deer, rabbits etc.
Carminative and laxative.
2. Ammoniacum:
Ammoniacum
- Biological Source : It is a oleo-gum-resin exuded from the flowering and fruiting stem of Dorema ammoniacum, Family: Umbelliferae
Tests
1. Ammoniacum when triturated with water, it forms a white emulsion.
2. A portion of the above emulsion when treated with a solution of chlorinated soda gives a deep orange-red colouration.
3. A portion of the emulsion on being treated with a potash solution yields a yellow colour.
4. A portion of the emulsion when treated with a 0.1% (w/v) solution of FeCl3, it gives an instant violet colouration due to the presence of traces of salicylic acid.
Uses
Important ingredient of porcelain cements
Myrrh and Frankincense
Biological Source : Myrrh is an oleo-gum-oresin obtained from the stem and branches of Commiphora obyssinica. Family Burseraceae.
Biological Source : Frankincence from trees of Boswellia sacra . Family : Burseraceae