Estimation of Quercetin, an Anxiolytic Constituent, in Elaeocarpus ganitrus.

Having established quercetin as the anxiolytic constituent of Elaeocarpus ganitrus, it was decided to use it as marker to standardize the plant material. Quercetin was used as an external standard for determining its content in E. ganitrus beads by TLC densitometry. An HPTLC densitometric method has been developed to estimate quercetin inE. ganitrus beads so that plant can be standardized on the basis of its bioactive marker. Two methods were followed for preparing the test samples for determining the quercetin content. Initially, quercetin was determined in the ethanol extract of the plant material. It was also determined in the acid hydrolyzed ethanol extract, in order to free quercetin from its O-glycoside. Quercetin content in the hydrolyzed ethanol extract (0.11% w/w) of E. ganitrus beads was found to be about 4 times more than in the ethanol extract prepared by direct method (0.03% w/w). Results showed that quercetin occurs in E. ganitrus beads in the form of glycoside.