ABSTRACT:
Sitopaladichurna has been in use in Indian Traditional Medicine Ayurveda since antiquity and is still in wide use. The aim was to estimate its major constituent Piperine, in plasma. HPLC as well as gas chromatography methods for analysis of Piperine in peppers, pepper extract and oleoresin have been reported, but there is no sensitive and reproducible method for quantification of Piperine in body fluids of any formulations. Sitopaladichurna (200 mg/kg) was administered orally to six rats. Blood (1 ml) was collected from each animal and immediately extracted with of ethyl acetate, centrifuged, dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate. The cethyl acetate was then evaporated under a stream of nitrogen at 50°C, The residue was hrs. Plasma was immediately separated by centrifuged and analyzed the same day. Piperine could be detected in plasma from 05 to 8 hours after administration with maximum plasma concentration (2.80 – 1.76 ug/ml) at 0.5 - 1 h post dosing. Piperine is rapidly absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and could be detected in plasma as early as 50 min after administration.