Standardization and formulation of an herbal appetite-stimulating drug from Gentiana olivieri

The roots of Gentiana olivieri (Gentianaceae), an Iranian indigenous plant, were studied with the aim of standardizing and preparing an appetite-stimulating drug. The bitterness value of the aqueous extract of the plant was evaluated for its efficacy as an appetite-stimulant. It was found to be very bitter, with a bitterness value of 33,183.5, which is comparable to the value reported for the internationally well-known bitter plant, Gentiana lutea L. In order to standardize G. olivieri to prepare an appetite-enhancing drug, separation of the bitter compound gentiopicroside from the plant G. lutea was carried out by using Prep TLC. The extracted pure compound was identified by the FTIR method, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and HPLC, and then used as a standard for later quantitative research. The G. olivieri extract was standardized based on the amount of gentiopicroside as an effective component. To formulate appetite-stimulating medicine, the extraction of the plant was conducted according to the methods mentioned in the British Pharmacopoeia. Then, a hydroalcoholic solution of the plant extract was formulated. The microbiological control of the plant extract and herbal medicine were investigated. The results showed no microbial growth within 30 days. The amount of gentiopicroside obtained from the hydroethanolic extract of the G. olivieri was 586.6 ppm. Furthermore, the bitterness value of the plant exceeded the amount mentioned in the pharmacopoeia for the hydroethanolic extract of G. lutea. Therefore, it can be implied that the effect of this natural medicine will be to increase appetite.