Storage Specificity for Boerhavia diffusa Linn as a Crude Drug

Abstract

The drug plants are inevitably consistent in view of other compositions and the standardization. They are influenced by many factors, such as surrounding environment, harvesting, storage and processing. The packaging also plays an important role in maintaining the quality and efficacy of the herbal drugs. The proper packaging and storage maintain the quality of herbal crude drugs. The storage specificity was studied on Boerhavia diffusa Linn. And the effect of fungal infection on stored plant material in different packaging was found. In the study, four different types of packaging were taken to observe the quality and efficacy i.e., polythene, cloths, paper and gunny bag. One unpacked sample was used as a control set. It was a two-year study observed from December 2018 to December 2020. The total number of mycoflora was found on Boerhavia diffusa Linn material in variable number in different seasons. In 2019, there were 15 species in April, 24 species in August and 4 species in December. In 2020, there were 3 species in April, 7 species in August and 0 in December. The total number of 33 different fungal species belonging to 15 genera was recorded on all packaging. 12 species belong to Aspergillus, 01 Alternaria, 01 Botrytis, 01 Botryodiplodia, 01 to Curvularia, 01 to Colletotrichum, 03 to Fusarium, 02 to Gilmaniella, 01 to Moniliella, 01 to Mucor, 03 to Penicillium, 01 to Paecilomyces, 03 Rhizopus, 01 to Thelavia and 01 to Zygosporium species. The polythene packaging and cold winter climate were the best for the least microbial attack and minimizing the loss of quality of studied crude drugs.