Comparison of Colchicine Content in Gloriosa superba L., Root after Pretreatment by Thai Traditional Medicine Methods

Abstract

Introduction: In Thai traditional medical practice, the roots of Gloriosa superba L. must be treated prior to use as Thai herbal remedies. Colchicine is a major active chemical constituent in the roots. It was reported that lethal doses of colchicine were 7-26 mg. There have been two pieces of evidence that indicated 5 different pretreatment methods of Gloriosa superba L., roots. Therefore, this research aimed to compare the amount of colchicine before and after pre-treated by 5 different methods and compare colchicine content after pretreatment between methods. Methods: Provide five different locations of fresh Gloriosa superba L., roots. Each sample divided into 6 groups. The first group would be treated as a control, the second to the sixth group was pre-treated by roasting, burning, boiling, stewing, and grilling which follow the methods from two pieces of evidence. Subsequently, quantitative analysis by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Results: The amount of colchicine in roots before and after pre-treated by roasting, burning, boiling, stewing, and grilling methods were significantly reduced by 45.61±10.61% (p=0.000), 37.35±14.15% (p=0.000), 44.55±8.60% (p=0.000), 76.40±10.70% (p=0.000), and 30.35±11.31% (p=0.000), respectively. The stewing method was the greatest decrease amount of colchicine which significantly different from other methods. (p=0.000). Conclusion: All 5 methods were significantly reduced amounts of colchicine in the roots of Gloriosa superba L. They were effective methods to pre-treat the roots of Gloriosa superba L. prior to use as Thai herbal remedies. Key words: Gloriosa superba L., Colchicine, Pretreatment methods, HPLC, Thai traditional medicine.