Sabiha Ferdowsy Koly
Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Tejgaon-1215, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Md. Shah Amran *
Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy and Public Health, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), Bashudhara, Dhaka-1229, Bangladesh.
In this post, we present a brief overview of our recently published book chapter titled “Spectroscopic Methods for Analysing Herbal Medicine and their Roles in Healthcare”
Pharmaceutical analysis is the comparison between a known pharmaceutical ingredient (also called a chemical reference standard, CRS) and an unknown pharmaceutical ingredient (also called ‘sample’). It highlights the methods, procedures and techniques applied for the identification, quantification and evaluation of the quality of drugs and pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceutical analysis may be (i) qualitative and (ii) quantitative. Qualitative analysis emphasises identifying the components present in a sample, and quantitative analysis focuses on the amount or concentration of a specific chemical (solute or analyte) in a sample.
Medicines that contain active substances derived from plant components, such as leaves, roots, fruits, fruit peel, seed and/or flowers and that are used to improve health, prevent disease, and treat illness, are considered as herbal medicines. The development of science and scientific instruments has allowed us to investigate the effectiveness and potency of phytochemicals for the treatment of a wide range of illnesses worldwide. The majority of herbal medications contain biologically active ingredients with various pharmacological characteristics. Since ancient times, herbal medicine has played a crucial role in healthcare systems all over the world by providing treatments for a range of illnesses using ingredients found in nature’s pharmacy. Herbal treatments have long been used for medicinal purposes before the invention of contemporary pharmaceuticals, as evidenced by the ancient Indian Ayurvedic practices, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and indigenous African and American healing systems. Recent concerns about synthetic drugs’ side effects, antibiotic resistance, and a desire for more sustainable and holistic treatment choices have sparked a resurgence of interest in herbal medicines as a supplementary and alternative approach to healthcare in recent years. However, quality control, standardisation, and comprehending the mechanisms of action of herbal formulations are all severely hampered by their complexity. Spectroscopic techniques have become extremely effective instruments for investigating herbal medications, offering vital information about their efficacy, safety, composition, and potential for therapeutic use.
On the other hand, spectroscopy is the reaction linking electromagnetic radiation (light) and matter (active chemical compounds). Spectroscopic techniques quantify a material’s absorption, reflection, or transmission characteristics as a function of wavelength. The advantages of these methods are low time and labour consumption, providing good results. When electromagnetic radiation interacts with matter, it can be absorbed, emitted, or scattered. Accordingly, spectroscopy is based on three principles: (i) Absorption of energy: The sample has the ability to absorb light at a certain frequency or wavelength. The energy transitions occurring inside the sample’s atoms or molecules are correlated with this absorption; (ii) Energy emission: After the sample absorbs energy, it can release radiation. The radiation that is released might also reveal details about the chemical structure of the sample, and (iii) Scattering: In many directions, the sample may scatter radiation. Information regarding the nature of the sample can be obtained by analysing the dispersed light. Spectroscopic methods are important in pharmaceutical operations for drug discovery, quality control, and manufacturing, ensuring drug safety and efficacy. Therefore, they are important tools for analysis and have a vital role in healthcare.