A SIMPLE, FACILE METHOD FOR ISOLATION OF EMBELIN FROM FRUITS OF EMBELIA RIBES BURM.F (VIDANG)

The purpose of the present investigation was to isolate embelin from the fruits of Embelia ribes Burm.f. Embelin was isolated from E. ribes fruit powder by cold and hot extraction with polar and non-polar solvents. The concentrated and dried extracts were washed with petroleum ether (60-80°C) to get crystalline embelin. The isolated embelin molecules were characterized by melting points, TLC, various spectral techniques such as Ultraviolet (UV), Infrared (IR), Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1HNMR), and Mass spectrometry (MS). Extraction with either chloroform or diethyl ether yielded bright orange coloured crystals in good yields. Spectral and chromatographic studies confirmed the isolated embelin to be pure. A simple maceration with chloroform was found to be most ideal for isolation of embelin. Our method completely eliminates the need for any column chromatography, as reported in literature. Hence, it is economical and has the potential for scale up.