pharmacognostical scheme of plant lobelia. refrence book: c.k kokote

1. LOBELIA
Presented by: Nabina Paudel
4th batch, B.Pharma
Universal college of medical science
Bhairahawa, Nepal

4. HISTORY
• The name of this drug has been
derived to honour a botanist
Matthias de Lobel. Cutler described
its utility in asthama in 1813 and
Reece introduced this drug in 1829
to Englisg medical profession.

5. classification
• Kingdom Plantae
• Subkingdom Tracheobionta
• Superdivision Spermatophyta
• Division Magnoliophyta
• Class Magnoliopsida
• Subclass Asteridae
• Order Campanulales
• Family Campanulaceae
• Genus Lobelia
• Species nicotianaefolia

6. SYNONYMS
• Indian tobacco
• Asthma weed

7. Biological source
• It consists of the dried aerial parts of Lobelia
nicotianaefolia heyne, collected in october-
november and dried in the shades.
• It belongs to family Campanulaceae.
• Lobelia should contain not less than 0.55 percent
of total alkaloids, calculated as lobeline.
• The other species viz. L.inflata is official in
British pharmacopoeia and consists of herbs of
this species.

8. GEOGRAPHICAL
SOURCE
• It is a biennial or perennial herb
growing on the western ghats of
Maharashtra Nilgiri and in Karala at
an altitude of 700 to 2300 m.
• Lobelia inflata is indigeneous to
eastern and central USA and
holland.

9. CULTIVATION, COLLECTION AND
PREPARATION
Lobelia IP is collected from wild
sources, while lobelia BP or USP is
collected from the both wild and
cultivated varieties.
Lobeline, the major alkaloid of the
drug is obtained by synthesis also.

10. MACROSCOPIC
CHARACTERS
• Colour: stems are green with purplish
tinge
• Odour: none
• Taste: extremely acrid and irritating.
• Size: the total height of the plant is
about 2- 3 m.

11. Continue….
• The plant are rounded or somewhat angular
stems, branched at top and slightly pubesent
and hollow.
• Lobelia stems bear alternate leaves which
are oblong lanceolate, sub sessile and finely
serrulate.
• The upper leaves are shorter and the lower
leaves are bigger in size.the leaves are 5-
25cm in length, and 1 to 5cm in breadth.

12. • Flowers are white with 3 lobes, terminal
recemes are from 30 to 100 cm in length.
• Flowers are bilocular inflatted capsules
which are sub-globose, about 5 to 10 cm in
diameter and with longtidunal ribs.
• Seeds are small, ellipsoidal and
compressed.

15. Microscopic features
• The epidermis of the stem is composed of rectangular
cells, covered with a striated cuticle and with anticlinal
walls clearly pitted, giving a characteristic beaded
appearance.
• The epidermis bears stomata with the pore parallel to
the stem axis and large, conical, wafiy-walled, unicellular
hairs up to 600 pm long.
• The cortex is composed of rounded, thin-walled,
chlorophyl containing parenchyma except in the wings,
where the cells are col-lenchymatous.

16. • The endodermis is well-differentiated, the cells clearly
showing the Casparian strip. A pericycle composed of small
groups of fibres is distinguishable in the lower pan of the
stem.
• The phloem is composed of small groups of delicate sieve-tube
tissue enclosing the anastomosing latex vessels, readily seen
aiter staining with iodine. The xylem is composed of elongated,
thick-walled xylem fibres and spiral and scaiariform vessels.
The pith is composed of pitted lignified parenchyma.
• With the leaf the upper epidermis is composed of straight
walled.
• Papillose cells with the anticlinal walls showing the beaded
appearance .The lower epidermal cells have wavy walls, and
numerous stomata, without special subsidiary cells, are
present. Unicellular cov-ering hairs, like those present on the
stem, are borne on both epidermal surfaces.

17. • The mesophyll is differentiated into a single-layered palisade
tissue and a spongy mesophyll.
• The mesophyll cells contain small fat crystals. The palisade
tissue is interrupted in the midrib and groups of collenchyma
occur above and below the midrib bundle.
• The phloem contains the characteristic latex vessels. Numerous
water-pores occur on the upper surface of the marginal teeth.
• The surface of the seed is characteristically reticulate. The
pollen grains are roughly spherical, 20-30 pm diameter, and
show three pores.

18. Chemical constituents
• Lobelia contains 0.5 to 1.2 of total
alkaloids, important of them is lobeline.
• Lobelidine, lobelanine, isobelanine and
lobelanidine are the other alkaloids
present in the drug. It also contain
pungent volatile oil, resin, gum and fixed
oil.

19. Lobelane

20. Isolobelanine

21. Chemical test
1. Solution of lobeline in sulphuric acid
gives red colour with formaldehyde.
2. Lobeline solution on boiling produces
acetophenone which is recognised by
smell.

22. uses
• Lobelia is mainly used in the treatment of
asthma and as respiratory stimulant.
• It is used for bronchial asthma and
chronic bronchitis.
• Previously, the fumes of powered lobelia
were used for inhalation.
• It is also clamed that lobelia is useful as a
smoking deterrent.
• In parenteral form, lobeline hydrochloride
is given for reuscitation of new born
infants, through umbilical vein.

23. • Lobeline has similar physiological
effects as that of nicotine.
• It is a cardiovascular stimulant
having the effects through carotid
chemoreceptors.
• Cough and pain receptors are
stimulated by lobeline.

24. Standards:
• Total ash content: 6.12%
• Humidity: 15.71%

25. Dosages
• Powdered bark: 5 to 60 grains.
• Fluid extract : 10 to 12 drops

26. Adverse effect
• Because of its similarity to nicotine,
the internal use of lobelia may be
dangerous to susceptible populations,
including children, pregnant women,
and individuals with cardiac disease.
• Excessive use will cause nausea and
vomiting.

27. Adulterants and
substituent
• L. fulgens, L.cardinalis & L.siphitica.

28. Thank you