Saponins-Marker for Chlorophytum borivilianum

Chlorophytum borivilianum is an important medicinal plant known as 'Safed musli' .The potent antioxidant activity validates the innumerable therapeutic claims of the plant in the traditional Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicine especially its use as a rasayana drug. In recent years Safed Musli has gained interest for its effectiveness in increasing male potency and is now considered as an alternative to ‘viagra’ resulting in a phenomenal increase in its demand all over the globe. Markers are chemically defined constituents of an herbal substance which are of interest for control purposes independent of whether they have any therapeutic activity or not. Markers may serve to calculate the quantity of herbal substance(s) or herbal preparation(s) in the finished product if that marker has been quantitatively determined in the herbal substance(s) or herbal preparation(s) when the starting materials were tested. A compound was isolated from the water extract. It was subjected to structure elucidation studies and quantitative analysis by HPLC. The compound could serve as a marker and help in standardization of the drug.