title: HPTLC detection of altitudinal variation of the potential antivenin stigmasterol in different populations of the tropical ethnic antidote Rauvolfia serpentina.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the altitudinal variation of stigmasterol, a potential antivenin, in roots from seven populations of Rauvolfia serpentina (L). Benth. ex Kurz. (Apocynaceae) (R. serpentina), an important herb found in Indian subcontinent which has long been used in the treatment of snakebite, blood pressure and schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Altitudinal variation of stigmasterol content in R. serpentina roots was analyzed by high performance thin layer chromatography. Chromatography was performed on silica gel 60 F254 thin layer chromatography plates with benzene-acetone 86:14 (v/v) as mobile phase. Densitometric analysis was done at λ=366 nm after derivatization with vanillin-10% (v/v) sulphuric acid alcohol reagent. The method was validated for precision and recovery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The present experiment demonstrates a simple, rapid, precise and sensitive high performance thin layer chromatography protocol for qualitative and quantitative determination of stigmasterol from different populations of R. serpentina. Results demonstrated that in root samples stigmasterol was present at Rf value of 0.44.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This investigation demonstrates that stigmasterol content in R. serpentina roots varies in different altitudes. Popular ethnomedicinal use of this herb against snakebite may be contributed by the occurrence of stigmasterol in its roots.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata 700073, India. Electronic address: abhijitbio25@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Abhijit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara-144411, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Devendra Kumar
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Pandey
keywords: Anti-venom; Chromatogram; Densitometry; Secondary metabolites; Snakebite