The term 'resin' is applied to more or less solid, amorphous products of complex chemical nature. These are amorphous
mixtures of essential of essential oils, oxygenated
products of terpenes and carboxylic acids
Resins and related resinous products are produced in plants during normal growth or secreted as a result of injury to the plants
They are usually occur in schizogenous or schizolysigenous cavities or ducts
General properties
Physical characters -
All resins are heavier than water, they are usually amorphous,hard, and brittle solids.
They are insoluble in water and usually insoluble in petroleum ether but dissolve more or less completely in alcohol, chloroform and ether
Chemically, resins are complex mixtures of
resin acids, resin alcohols (resinols), resin
phenols (resinotannols), esters and chemically inert compounds known as resenes.
Many resins,when boiled with alkalies yield soaps
By the action of heat they soften yielding clear, adhesive fluids, Resins burn with a characteristic, smoky flame.
Resins are often associated with volatile oils (oleoresins), with gums (gum-resins) or with oil and gum (oleo-gum-resins).
Resins may also be combined in a glycosidal manner with sugars.
Chemical nature:
Chemically resins are not pure substances but complex mixtures of several resinous substances as resin acids, resin alcohols, resin esters, and neutral resins.
Resins do not contain nitrogen elements (Non nitrogenous compounds)
Classification of resins
Resins are classified in three different
ways:
1. Taxonomical classification, i.e. according to botanical origin, e.g. Berberidaceae
resins. 2. Classification according to predominating chemical constituent; e.g. acid resins, resene resins, glycosidal resins; etc. 3. Resins may be classified according to the portion of the main constituents of the resin or resin combination; e.g. resins, oleoresins, oleo-gum-resins, balsams.
Classification of resins
1. Acid resins -
Here the resins occur along with their
acids. Examples
Colophony - Abietic acid
Sandrac - Sandracolic acid
Myrrh - Commiphoric acid
Copaiba - Copaivic acid
2. Ester resins -
This group contains esters as the chief
constituents of the resins- Examples
Benzoin and Storax,
Benzoin contains benzyl benzoate,
0 Storax contains cinnamyl cinnamate
3. Resin alcohols -
They occurs as in free state or as esters
examples -
Balsam of peru with perru resino tannol
Guaiaccum resin with guaic resinol
They are also further classified into - Resins: colophony, cannabis.
Oleoresins: copaiba, ginger.
Oleo-gum-resins: asafoetida, myrrh.
Balsams: balsam of Tolu, balsam of Peru.
Glycoresins: jalap
Resenes: Asafoetida, colophony
Balsams
Balsams are resinous mixtures that contain large proportions of cinnamic acid, benzoic acid or
both or esters of these acids.
The term "balsam" is often
wrongly applied to oleoresins and should be reserved for such substances as
balsam of Peru, balsam of Tolu and storax, which contain a high proportion of aromatic balsamic acids. 2. Prepared resins; are obtained by different methods. The drug containing resins is powdered and extracted with alcohol till
exhaustion. The Concentrated alcoholic extract is either evaporated, or poured
into water and the precipitated resin is collected, washed and carefully dried.
Example by artificial punctures e.g. mastic; or deep cuts in the wood of the
plant e.g. turpentine, or by hammering and scorching, e.g. balsam of Peru.
2. Prepared resins; are obtained by different methods. The drug containing resins is powdered and extracted with alcohol till
exhaustion. The Concentrated alcoholic extract is either evaporated, or poured
into water and the precipitated resin is collected, washed and carefully dried.
In the preparation of oleoresins; ether or acetone having lower boiling point are
used. The volatile oil portion is removed through distillation.
When the resin occurs associated with gum (gum-resins), the resin is extracted with alcohol leaving the gum insoluble. Crude drugs containing resins And resin combinations
5.Benzoin
Synonyms -
Gum benzoin, Luban, Loban, Sambrani, Lobana
(Sumatra benzoin)
Biological source- Benzoin is the balsamic resin obtained from the incised stem of Styrax benzoin, Styrax paralleloneurus
Family - Styraceae
Siam benzoin - It consists of balsamic resin of
Styrax tonkinensis, Family - Styraceae
Chemical constituents -
It contains 23% of balsamic acids - Cinnamic acid and benzoic acid
It contains 70-80% resin resin consisting of triterpenoids, siaresinolic acid and
suma resinolic acid
It also contains vanillin, sterol, phenyl propyl cinnamate responsible for the aromatic smell Chemical tests
1. Heat small amount of benzoin slowly in a dry test tube melts and evolves white fumes is produced. Which on condensation crystalline sublimate form
2.Benzoin heated with potassium permanganate solution benzoin) --- odour of
benzaldehyde (Sumatra
3. Benzoin is extracted with alcohol and to the
extract add water
---
milky white solution is
formed
*4. Digest benzoin with few drops of petroleum ether for 5 minutes. Pour 1ml of the etherial solution in a porcelain dish containing 2-3 drops of con. Sulphuric acid and rotate the dish --- reddish brown colour is produced (Benzoin confirmed)
Uses -
Used as an antiseptic
Used as an expectorant
Used as a stimulant It is used in the preparation of Compound benzoin tincture
Siam benzoin
Chemical constituents
It contains about 70% crystalline and 10% 10% amorphous
Resin contains free asaresinotannaol and in combination with ferulic acid
Chemical tests -
1.Powder triturated with water yellowish orange emulsion is produced.
*2. Combined umbelliferone test -
Drug is boiled with hydrochloric acid for 5minutes .It is filtered and ammonia is added to the filtrate - A blue fluorescence is produced
3. Drug is treated with few drops of 50% nitric acid - green colour is produced
4. Drug is treated with few drops of sulphuric
acid red colour is produced which changes to violet on washing with water.
Uses -
As a carminative, an expectorant, antispasmodic, as a laxative, nervine tonic
an 4.Capsicum
Synonym - Chillies
Biological source -
It consists of the dried ripe fruits of Capsicum frutescens or Capsicum annum or
capsicum minimum
Family - Solanaceae
Diagnostic characters -
1. Oil globules -
Abundant and red colored
2. Sclerides -
From the endocarp evenly thickened and pitted (in
surface view)
3. Epidermis of the testa -
Unevenly thickened and yellowish green in colour
(in surface view)
Chemical constituents - It contains an extremely pungent principle Capsaicin, red colouring matter Capsanthin.
It also contains Ascorbic acid, carotin, red pigments etc
Uses -
1. Used as a spice
2. Used as carminative
3. Used as nervine stimulant
4. Used as a source of vitamin- C
5. Used as an appetizer
6. Used as a stomachic
07.Externally used as counter- irritant in rheumatism
7.Colophony
Synonyms Chir, long needle pine
Biological source -
Colophony is the solid residue obtained after distilling the oleo-resin from various species of pinus- pinus longifolia, pinus palustris, pinus maritima
Family - Pinaceae 2. An alcoholic solution of colophony is acidic
to litmus
3.Colophony is dissolved in light petroleum and filtered. To the filtrate 2-3 times its volume dilute copper acetate solution is added emerald green colour is seen in the petroleum layer (upper layer)
☐ Uses -
Used in the preparation of plasters and ointments.
Used in the manufacture of varnishes and disinfecting liquids.
2. Podophyllum
Synonym - Indian podophyllum
Biological source -
It consists of the dried rhizome and root of Podophyllum hexandrum
(Podophyllum emodi)
Family - Berberidaceae
Diagnostic characters -
1. Sclereids -
In groups, uniformly thickened and rectangular in shape
2. Wood elements
Large number of vessels, either entire or fragments of the same showing
reticulate thickening
3.Starch grains -
Abundant, simple (Spherical to ovoid) and compound (3-8)
4. Parenchyma -
Parenchyma fully loaded with starch grains
Chemical constituents -
It contains 7-15% of resin known as podophyllin. Roots contain more resin than the rhizomes.
The active principle in podophyllin resin is known as podophyllotoxin (40%) in
Indian variety, alpha and ẞ peltatins in the American podophyllum.
It also contains Quercetin astragalin, essential oil Kaempferol, astragalin, essential
oil
Uses - Used in the treatment of cancer Used as purgative Used as bitter tonic
