Available online at www.ijpsdr.com International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research 2011; 3(2): 146-149 146 Research Article ISSN 0975-248X Development of RP-HPLC method for Qualitative Analysis of Active Ingredient (Gallic acid) from Stem Bark of Dendrophthoe falcate Linn. Hafsa Deshmukh, Pradnya J. Prabhu * Department of Chemistry, K. J. Somaiya College of Science and Commerce, Vidyavihar (E), Mumbai-400077 India ABSTRACT A simple, precise and sensitive, RP-HPLC method with UV detection at 271nm was developed and validated for qualitative determination of active ingredient Gallic acid from stem bark of Dendrophthoe falcate Linn. Separation was performed on a ThermoMOS 2 HYPERSIL C 18 column (250 cm × 4.6 mm, 5μm ODS 3) using mobile phase comprising of 0.1% Orthophosphoric acid : Acetonitrile (400 cm 3 : 600 cm 3 ) with a flow rate of 1 ml/minute with a short run time of 13 minute. The method was validated according to the regulatory guidelines with respect to linearity, system suitability, precision, solution stability, accuracy, robustness, assay and recovery. Detector response was linear for HPLC in the range of 0.04 to 0.16 mg/cm 3 . The system suitability, precision, solution stability, accuracy, robustness, assay and recovery was assessed by calculating % COV for all these parameters which is less than two as expected. The recovery of the method for Gallic acid was found 98.94% which shows that method is accurate. The described method has the advantage of being rapid and easy hence it can be applied for routine quality control analysis of Gallic acid from Dendrophthoe falcate Linn. Keywords: Gallic acid, RP-HPLC, Dendrophthoe falcate Linn. INTRODUCTION Dendrophthoe falcate Linn. is genus of evergreen, shrubby, parasite that is distributed in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the old world. Dendrophthoe falcate Linn. (Loranthaceae) is an important plant in Indian system of medicine. It is a parasitic shrub that grows on a variety of host plants namely mango, jack and other trees. The plant has been used as an aphrodiasic, astringent, narcotic and diuretic. [1] Chemically the plant has been found to be rich in phenols and flavonoids; catechins, gallic acid, ellagic acid, chebulinic acid, quercetin [2] , kaempferol, rutin and quercetrin. [3] Dendrophthoe falcate Linn has been used traditionally in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, asthma, menstrual disorders, swelling wounds, ulcers, renal and vesical calculi and vitiated conditions of kapha and pitta. [1] In Nepal, the leaf along with Urtica doica is made into a paste and used to treat bone fractures.Members of genus Dendrophthoe are reported to have anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anticancer, anti- diabetic [4] , anti-lithiatic and antihypertensive [5] properties. Study was undertaken for identification of Gallic acid in Dendrophthoe falcate Linn. stem-bark. EXPERIMENTAL *Corresponding author: Dr. Pradnya J. Prabhu, Department of Chemistry, K. J. Somaiya College of Science and Commerce, Vidyavihar (E), Mumbai-400077 India; E- mail: hafsi_86@yahoo.co.in, pjprabhu@rediffmail.com Fig.1 (a): Dendrophthoe Falcate Linn Parasite on Magnifera indica (Mango), Mahad Fig. 1 (b): Gallic acid Chemical and reagents The Gallic acid working standards were obtained as a gift sample from J B Pharmaceutical Ltd., Mumbai with purity of 99.98%. All the reagents which were used were of chromatographic grade. All dilutions were performed in standard volumetric flask.