Microscopic evaluation of selected herbal drugs according to the monographs of the fifth edition of European Pharmacopoeia

Mikroskopska analiza praškastih biljnih droga danas je nezamjenjiva metoda za utvrđivanje patvorina i onečišcenja u biljnom materijalu. U starijim izdanjima Europske farmakopeje pruženi su tekstualni opisi mikromorfoloških značajki pojedinih biljnih prašaka, ali bez dodanih ilustracija. Cilj je rada bio proučiti koliko takav način opisa biljnih droga može pomoći upućenom, ali neiskusnom analitičaru poput studenta. U priloženom su radu odabrane biljne droge iz petog izdanja Europske farmakopeje promatrane svjetlosnim mikroskopom prema njihovim monografijama. Iz dobivenih se rezultata može zaključiti da se kod analiziranih biljnih prašaka može pronaći većina elemenata danih farmakopejom, osobito onih koji su važni za identifikaciju biljne droge. Ipak, unatoč uloženomu značajnom trudu prilikom analize, nisu pronađeni svi dijagnostički fragmenti opisani u monografijama. Stoga se može zaključiti da opis mikromorfoloških značajki bez slike omogućava točnu identifikaciju, ali uz određenu dozu nesigurnosti, te puno uložena truda i vremena. Ilustracije dijagnostičkih fragmenata poput onih koje se mogu naći u novijim izdanjima Europske farmakopeje nužne su kako bi manje iskusni analitičari mogli pravilno analizirati droge.Microscopic analysis of powdered vegetable drugs is an indispensable method for determining forgery and pollution in plant material, even today. In previous editions of European Pharmacopoeia textual descriptions of morphological characteristics of certain herbal powders are provided but without added illustrations. The aim of this study was to examine how such a way of describing herbal drugs can help inexperienced analyst, such as student. In the presented work the selected herbal drugs from the fifth edition of European Pharmacopoeia was observed by light microscopy according to their monographs. From the results it can be concluded that most of the elements described in pharmacopoeia, and especially those elements that are important for the identification of herbal drugs, could be found in the analyzed herbal powders. However, despite the significant efforts invested in analyzing, all diagnostic fragments described in the monographs could not be found. Thus, it can be concluded that the description of the micro-morphological and -anatomical characteristics of powdered drugs without image allows accurate identification, but with a significant level of uncertainty, and a lot of invested effort and time. Illustrations of diagnostic fragments, such as those that can be found in recent editions of the European Pharmacopoeia, are therefore necessary for a proper analysis of the drug by less experienced analysts