Bilimbi fruits are very sour and used in the production of vinegar, wine, pickles etc. The mature fruit can be eaten in natura or processed into jellies or jams other than act as preservative in food. 3 The ascorbic acid content of ripe bilimbi fruits was reported to be 60.95 mg/100 g. 4 The fruits are good remedy for scurvy and beneficial in diarrhoea, hepatitis and in inflammatory
condition. 5 Syrup made from the fruits is used in febrile TSA HDAC cost excitement, haemorrhages and internal haemorrhoids; also in diarrhoea, bilious colic and hepatitis. 6 The fruit is used as astringent, stomachic and refrigerant. The fruit in the form of curry is useful in piles and scurvy. In French Guiana the syrup selleck chemical of the fruit, or a decoction of the fruit are prescribed in inflammatory conditions, chiefly in hepatitis; they are also
administered to relieve fever; diarrhoea and bilious colic. 7 Ambili et al. (2009), suggested that the fruit can be used as a dietary ingredient to prevent as well as treat hyperlipidaemia. 8A. bilimi fruits possess antibacterial activity against human pathogenic bacteria. 9 According to Kolar et al. (2011), the fruit extract of A. bilimbi has potential antioxidant capacity and its consumption may contribute substantial amount of antioxidants to the diet. 2 In spite of the numerous medicinal uses attributed to this plant, there is no detailed pharmacognostical report on the macroscopy, anatomical markers, microscopy etc. Therefore, the present investigation of A. bilimbi L. fruit was undertaken to evaluate and establish quality control as per Indian Pharmacopoeia and WHO guidelines, which will help in identification as well as in standardization.
10 and 11 The WHO accepts fingerprint chromatography Rolziracetam as an identification and quality evaluation technique for medicinal herbs since 1991.12 Fingerprints can be a unique identification utility for herbs and their different species.13 and 14 Therefore HPTLC fingerprint has been also developed for A. bilimbi L. fruit. Herbarium of A. bilimbi L. was prepared and authenticated from Blatter Herbarium, St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. Fresh fruits of A. bilimbi L. were collected from Fort, Mumbai, M.S., India, washed under running tap water and blotted dry for further studies. The fruits were dried in preset oven at 40 ± 2 °C for about one week, ground into powder and used for further analysis. Physicochemical constants such as the percentage of total ash, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash; water soluble and alcohol soluble extractive values were calculated according to the methods described in Indian Pharmacopoeia. 15 Preliminary phytochemical analysis of powdered fruit was performed as described by Khandelwal 16 and Kokate. 17 Fluorescence analysis was conducted using methods of Kokoski 18 and Chase and Pratt.