Heaven’s Pharmacognosy

RESINS & RESIN

COMBINATIONS
Chapter Outline

Introduction, classification, active constituents and pharmacological

uses of:
1. Simple resinous drugs:
Podophyllum, Cannabis
2. Glycoresins:
Jalap, Ipomoea, Colocynth
3. Oleoresin:
Turpentine, Capsicum, Ginger
4. Oleogum resins:
Asafetida, Myrrh
5. Balsams:
Storax, Tolu balsam, Peru balsam, Benzoin
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Resins and resin combinations

Chemically resins are defined as, “complex oxidation products of terpenes. Resins are amorphous products
of a complex chemical nature.
Resins are found in resin cavities of resin ducts and are end products of metabolism. There are two types of
resin cavities;

Schizogenous cavity Schizolysigenous cavity

These are formed by the separation of cells forming These are formed by the breaking down of the cells
a cavity, which is bounded by epithelium lining. and are not bounded by the epithelium.

Chemistry of Resins and its combinations

1. Resins and its combinations can be either physiological product or pathological product.
➢ Physiological product:
Those products which are preformed or naturally occurring metabolites. However, their yield is
increased by an injury. Injury triggers the metabolic activity of the plants to produce secondary
metabolites.
Example: Gum turpentine.
➢ Pathological product:
These are products which are not preformed, not present in plant naturally. They are only produced
when plants are injured. These are also called stress compounds.
Example: balsams.

2. Chemically resins are mixtures of resin acids, resin alcohols, and resenes.

➢ Resin acids:
They have property of carboxylic acids and phenols. They are soluble in aqueous solutions of alkalis
forming soap like solution. Some of them are used in manufacturing of soap and varnishes. They occur
either in Free states or esters.
Example: Abetic acid.

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➢ Resin alcohol:
These are complex alcohols with high molecular weight.
They are of two types;
i. Resinotannols; they give tannins like reactions. ii.Resinols; they don’t give such reactions.
They occur either in Free states or esters.
➢ Resenes:
They are chemically inert compounds. They are natural substances devoid of chemical properties. They
don’t form salts and esters and are insoluble in alkalis.

Classification of Resins
Resins and their combinations are classified into five following categories;
1. Simple resinous drugs
Drugs: Podophyllum, Cannabis
2. Glycoresins
Glycoresins are complex mixtures yielding sugars and complex resin acids on hydrolysis.
Drugs: Jalap, Ipomoea, Colocynth
3. Oleoresin
Oleoresins are homogenous mixtures of resins and volatile oils.
Drugs: Turpentine, Capsicum, Ginger
4. Oleogum resins
Oleogum resins are homogenous mixtures of resin, gum and volatile oil.
Gums are water soluble, so these can be easily separated from oleoresin.
Drugs: Asafeotida, Myrrh
5. Balsams
Drugs: Storax, Tolu balsam, Peru balsam, Benzoin

1. Simple resinous Drugs:

The class include podophyllum and Cannabis.

i. Podophyllum
Botanical origin:
▪ Podophyllum emodi,
▪ Podophyllum peltatum,
Family: Podophyllaceae
Part used: Dried rhizomes

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Habit: Perennial herbs

Habitat:
• Podophyllum peltatum, is found in USA and Canada.
• Podophyllum emodii, is found in India, Afghanistan, Tibet, and Pakistan.
Collection:
Plant part is collected in autumn season. The color is dark reddish brown and the fracture is short and even.
The taste is bitter and starchy and odor is characteristic.
Extraction:
Podophyllum resin is obtained by powdered rhizome with alcohol precipitating the resin in water.
Precipitate is separated from water and powdered.
It is light brown to greenish yellow in color, bitter taste and have characteristic odor.
Constituents:
✓ Podophyllum peltatum, contain:
•
Podophyllin 2% to 8%. Podophyllin contain 20% podophyllotoxin and 10% of α-peltatin
and 5% β-peltatin.
✓ Podophyllum emodii, contain:
• Podophylin 6% to 12%. Podophyllin contain 4% podophyllotoxin and traces of α-
peltatin and β-peltatin.
Medicinal uses:
- It is used as Cathartic
- It is used as Purgative.
- Etoposide, a semisynthetic anticancer drug prepared
from podophyllotoxin. It is used in lung cancer,
leukemia, and testicular cancer.
- Posalfilin, made up of 25% salicylic acid, 20%
podophylin. It is used to plantar warts.
- Wertec cream, contain 0.001% podophyllotoxin. It is used
to treat genital warts.
Structure:
The major nucleus is shown below;

1. Podophyllotoxin 2. α-peltatin 3. β-peltatin

R1 = CH3 R1 = H R1 = CH3
R2 = OH R2 = H R2 = H
R3 = H R3 =OH R3 = OH

ii. Cannabis
Botanical origin: Cannabis indica, Cannabis sativa
Local name: Marijuana, bhang, ghanja, charas

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Family: The old name was Moraceae but now the new is Cannabaceae
Part used: Dried Leaves and flowering tops or pistillate of female
plants. Also, resin is secreted by the glandular trichomes of leaves.
Habit: Annual herb
Habitat:
Plant is cultivated in Brazil, America, Europe but it grows wildly in the
sub-continent Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
In Pakistan the plant grows at waste places of all provinces. Best quality
cannabis is found in Gilgit and Chitral.
Resin Collection:
Resin is collected by the conventional methods;
1. Resin can be obtained by rubbing the flowering tops by hands.
Thus, the resin stick to the hands and then it is scratched off.
2. Resin can also obtain by beating the flowering tops to the carpet. Thus, the resin stick to the
carpet and then it is scratched off from it.
3. Few person wear leather coats and move in the field and the resin stick to the coat. Thus, the resin
stick to the coat and then it is scratched off from it.
Resin collected is dark brown in color, amorphous, semisolid, and bitter. The odor is strong.
Constituents:
It contains more than 60 compounds called cannabinoids.
The major is cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol THC.
Leaves and flowers contain levorotatory volatile oils. It contains terpenes
and sesqueterpenes. It also contains 2 nitrogenous bases Choline and
Trigonelline, and an alkaloid Canabessativine.
Medicinal uses:
- C in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy as it relieves nausea
and vomiting.
- Aqueous extract of cannabis is used in Canasol drops, which is
used for glaucoma.

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2. Glycoresin
The resin is present in glycosidic combinations. The class includes
➢ Jalap,
➢ Colocynth and
➢ Ipomea.
i. Jalap
Botanical origin: Exogonium purge (Ipomea purge)
Family: Convolvulaceae
Part used: Dried tuberous roots
Habit: Perennial herb
Pharmacognostic features:
The roots are either fusiform or pyriform (pear shape). The color of the
drug is dark brown and odor is smoky because of its drying process.
The taste of the drug is bitter and starchy.
Collection & drying:
The roots are collected and are dried in nets over fire which gives them smoky odor.
Constituents:
It contains;
▪ 18% glycoresin
▪ Volatile oils
▪ Gums
▪ Starch and sugars
The resinous compounds found in Jalap are, Jalapin and convolvulin.
Medicinal uses:
- It is used as purgative.
- It is used as cathartic.

ii. Ipomea
Botanical origin: Ipomea orizabensis
Family: Convolvulaceae
Part used: Dried tuberous roots
Habit: Perennial climbing wine
Pharmacognostic features:
The roots are fusiform. The color of the drug is grayish brown and odor is
smoky aromatic. The taste of the drug is bitter and resinous.
Collection & drying:
The roots are collected and are dried under sunlight.
Constituents:
It contains;

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▪ 20% glycoresin
▪ Volatile oils
▪ Fatty acids
The resinous compounds found in ipomea are methyl pentoside. These are;
▪ Pytosterol glycosides: Ipurganol
▪ Sitosterol glycosides: Ipuranol
Medicinal uses:
- It is used as purgative.
- It is used as cathartic.

iii. Colocynth
Botanical origin: Citrullus colocynthis
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Part used: Dried pulp of fully grown unripe fruit
Habit: Annual or Perennial Herb
Habitat:
It is also called as Bitter apple. It is found in Syria, Cyprus, Sudan
and South India.
Collection:
Fruits are collected, and seeds are removed from the fruit and pulp
is obtained. There are 200 to 300 seeds in the fruit. Seeds constitute
70% of the weight of the fruit.
Pulp is dried by sunlight or by artificial heat. Pulp is pale yellow or
yellowish orange in color with slight odor and bitter in taste
Glycoresin is obtained by extracting the powdered pulp and resin is precipitated in water.
Constituents:
It contains;
- Complex resinous compounds; colocynthin, colocynthithin.
- Phytosterol glycosides; cucurbitacin, citrullol.
- Nitrogenous base; Choline.
- Traces of alkaloidal bases.
Medicinal uses:
- It is used as powerful cathartic.
- It is used as purgative.
- It is only used in chronic constipation. It is not used as standard medicine due to side
effects like; vomiting, watery diarrhea, abdominal pain and gripping effect.
- The roots are used as carminative and anthelmintic.

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3. Oleoresins
It is the mixture of resin and volatile oil. The drugs of this class are
➢ Rosin,
➢ Capsicum and
➢ Ginger.

i. Rosin
Botanical origin: Pinus longifolia, Pinus halepensis, Pinus palustris, Pinus
meritemma
Family: Pinaceae
Part used: Resin, obtained after the separation of Volatile oil from gum
turpentine
Habitat:
▪ Pinus longifolia is found in Pakistan.
▪ Pinus halepensis is found in Spain.
▪ Pinus palustris is found in US.
▪ Pinus meritemma is found in France.
Constituents:
Rosin mainly contains Abietic acid (Sylvic acid) and pimaric acid.
Medicinal uses:
- Rosin is used as stiffening agent in the preparation of Zinc oxide
(ZnO) and other adhesive plasters and ointments.
- In veterinary, rosin medicine is used as diuretic.
- The lower grade is used in the preparation of varnishes, soap
and painting inks.

ii. Capsicum
Botanical origin: Capsicum Annuum, Capsicum frutescens
Family: Solanaceae Part used: Dried Fruit
Habit:
▪ Capsicum Annuum is an annual herb.
▪ Capsicum frutescens is a perennial woody shrub.
Habitat: Native to America. Cultivated in tropical regions of India, Japan,
Europe and Srilanka.
Pharmacognostic features: Fruits are divided into two compartments by
membrane called dissepiment. Capsaicin is mainly present in dissepiment.
Capsaicin is prepared by the extracting the powdered drug with alcohol, to this alkali is added. In the last
step carbon dioxide CO2 is passed to alkaline solution and capsaicin is precipitated.
Constituents:

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Capsaicin is the main constituent in capsicum. It is phenolic in nature. The dissepiment contains 1.8%, the
outer skin (pericarp) contain 0.1% and seeds contain 0.07%
capsaicin.
Among the others it contains volatile oils, fixed oils, ascorbic
acid 0.1% – 0.5%.
Medicinal uses:
- It is used as condiment.
- It is used as stimulant.
- It is used as stomachic.
- It is used as tonic.
- It is used as rubefacient.
- Capsaicin cream is used in Pakistan. It is used for migraine and cluster headache and
arthritis.
- Capsaicin plaster used in muscle pain and neuralgia, but not preferred as it is irritant.

iii. Ginger
Botanical origin: Zingiber officinale
Family: Zingeberaceae
Part used: Dried Rhizomes
Habit: Perennial herbs
Habitat: Native to South Eastern Asia, and cultivated in India, Indonesia,
Sri Lanka, Japan and China.
Pharmacognostic features: Plants are herbs with thick scaly branched
tuberous rhizomes. The color of the drug is pale yellow. The fracture of the
plant is short and starchy with projecting fibers. It possesses aromatic odor
due to volatile oil and its taste is pungent.
Constituents:
The major pungent principal in ginger are
• Gingerol and
• Zingerone.
Among the other constituents it contains volatile oils 1% – 2%
monoterpenes and terpene alcohols. Resinous matter about 5%
– 8%, and 50% starch.
Medicinal uses:
- It is used as condiment.
- It is used as digestive stimulant.
- It is used as appetizer.
- It is used as carminative.
- It is used as antiemetic.
- It is used as antispasmodic.

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- It is used as anti-rheumatic.
- It is used as flavoring agent in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
- It is used as expectorant.
- Ginger oil is used as fragrance component in cosmetic products that include
soaps, detergents, creams, lotions and perfumes.

4. Oleogum Resins
It is the mixture of resin and volatile oil and gum. The drugs of this class are:
➢ Asafetida, and
➢ Myrrh.

i. Asafetida
Botanical origin: Ferula asafetida, Ferula rubricaulis
Family: Umbelliferae (Old), Apiaceae (New)
Part used: Oleogum resin obtained as an exudation from the living
roots and rhizomes.
Habit: Perennial Branching Herb
Habitat: Indigenous to Central Asia. It is cultivated in Iran,
Afghanistan, India (Kashmir and East Punjab), and Pakistan (Western
Baluchistan)
Pharmacognostic features: Plant is a 3-meter-high herb. The color
is dark brown and odor is strong and alliaceous (garlic like) and taste
is pungent and alliaceous.
Constituents:
It contains volatile oils about 4% – 20%, major is isobutyl propyl disulfide.

It contains resinous matter about 40% – 65%, free ferulic acid, asaresenol ferrulate, and 25% gum in it,
gum contains glucuronic acid, arabinose, galactose and rhamnose.

Medicinal uses:

- It is used as antispasmodic.
- It is used as anthelmintic.
- It is used as expectorant.
- It is used as carminative.
- It is used as diuretic.
- It is a powerful nervine stimulant used in the nervous
disorder of hysteria.

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ii. Myrrh
Botanical origin:
• Commiphora molmol
• Commiphora abyssinica
Family: Buseraceae
Part used:
Oleogum resin which exudate naturally and by incisions made in
bark.
Habit: Tree
Habitat:
It is present in hot climates. It includes Somalia, Ethiopia, Nubia
and Yemen.
Pharmacognostic features:
Myrrh is a physiological as well as pathological product the color
of the drug is reddish brown and odor is aromatic. The taste of
the drug is bitter.
Constituents:
It contains volatile oils about 7% – 18%, major is terpenes, sesquterpenes and esters.
About 25% – 40%, it contains resin, resin acids, resenes and phenolic compounds. It contains about 60%
gum.
It consists of
• Arabinose,
• glucose,
• glactose and glucuronic acid.
Medicinal uses:
- It is used as antiseptic.
- It is used as anti-inflammatory.
- It is used as antispasmodic.
- It is used as diuretic.
- It is used as anti-rheumatic.
- It is used in the preparations of mouth washes as astringent.
- As folk medicine, fumes of burnt myrrh are beneficial in chronic bronchitis and
laryngitis.

5. Balsams
They are mixtures which contain benzoic acid and
cinnamic acid or both or esters of these acids. The
drugs of this class are Storax, Tolu Balsam, Peru
Balsam and Benzoin.

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i. Storax
Botanical origin:
▪ Liquidambar orientalus
▪ Liquidambar styraciflua
Family: Hamamelidaceae

Part used: Balsams obtained by incisions made in the stem

Habit: Tree
Habitat:
▪ Liquidambar orientalus it is called Levent storex and it is
found in Turkey.
▪ Liquidambar styraciflua it is called as American storex and it
is found in America.
Pharmacognostic features:
Storax is opaque, and oily liquid.
▪ Liquidambar styraciflua is a tree of about 40-meter height. It is greyish brown in color.
▪ Liquidambar orientalus is a tree of about 15-meter height. It is yellowish brown in color.
Both possess balsamic odor and bitter in taste. Both are in soluble in water. They are partially soluble in
ether and completely soluble in alcohol and chloroform.
Constituents:
Plants contain 50% resin alcohol i.e. α-storesin & β-storesin complex alcohol.
They contain Balsamic esters, storesin cinnamates 10% – 20%, cinnamyl cinnamate 5% – 10% and phenyl
propyl cinnamate 10%.
Among the others;
Constituents Levent Storax American storax

Volatile oils 0.5% – 1%, 7%

Free cinnamic acid 2% – 5%, but by microsolublization method 28%
the percentage is increased up to 20%.
Resin acid No 2%

Resin ester No 35%

Cinnamein (volatile oil) No 24%

Medicinal Uses:
- Storex is the ingredient of compound benzoin tincture which is used as expectorant in
vapor or inhalant form.
- Storex oil is used as fragrance component in soap and perfumes.
- Levent storex in Chinese medicine is used in the treatment of epilepsy.
- Both species are trying to be used in treatment of cancer.

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ii. Tolu balsam

Botanical origin: Myroxylon balsamum
Family: Leguminosae
Part used: Balsams obtained by incisions in bark
Habit: Tree
Habitat:
It is a tree of 20 – 25-meter height. It is found in Cuba, West Indies
and Venezuela.
Constituents:
It contains:
• resin about 80% derived from resin alcohols combine
with benzoic acid or cinnamic acid.
• 12% – 15% free cinnamic acid,
• 8% benzoic acid.
• Balsamic esters i.e. benzyl benzoate, benzyl cinnamte.
• ferulic acid, vanillin and euginol.
Medicinal uses:
- Tolu balsam is the ingredient of compound benzoin tincture which is used as
expectorant in vapor or inhalant form.
- It is used as flavoring agent in syrups.
- It is used in confectionary in the preparations of chewing gum. - It is used as fragrance
in perfumery industry.

iii. Peru balsam

Botanical origin: Myroxylon pereirae
Family: Leguminosae
Part used: Balsams obtained by incisions in bark
Habit: Tree
Habitat:
It is a tree of 20 – 25-meter height. It is found in Cuba, West Indies
and Venezuela.
Constituents:
It contains:
• Balsamic esters 56% - 66% which include:
- cinnamyl cinnamate,
- benzyl benzoate, and
- benzyl cinnamte.
It also contains resin about 28% that occurs in combination with benzoic and cinnamic acid. Small
quantities of vanillin and free cinnamic acid is also present.

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Medicinal uses:
- It is used as antiseptic dressing of wounds.
- It is used as parasiticidal in skin disease.
- It has been used for many years in solution or ointment form, as protective and mild
irritant to promote the growth of epithelial cells in treatment of scabies, ring worm and
indolent ulcer (chronic skin ulcer).

iv. Benzoin
Botanical origin:
▪ Styrax benzoin (Sumatra Benzoin)
▪ Styrax tonkinensis (Sian Benzoin)
Family: Styraceae
Part used: Benzoin obtained by incisions made in stem
Habit: Evergreen tall tree
Habitat:
▪ Sumatra Benzoin is found in Sumatra, Java and Borneo.
▪ Sian Benzoin is found in Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.
Pharmacognostic features:
Benzoin is also produced due to fungal attack as antifungal
metabolite to encounter fungal attack. Therefore, it is post
inflectional antifungal metabolite also known as stress compound.
✓ Sumatra benzoin is of reddish brown color and it has balsamic odor and taste is acrid (sharp and
biting taste).
✓ Sian benzoin is of reddish brown color and it has aromatic (vanilla like) odor and taste is balsamic.
Constituents:
Sumatra Benzoin contains;
✓ Cinnamic acid 20%
✓ Benzoic acid 80%
✓ Triterpinyl acids that are derivatives of oleanolic acid. It is a penta cyclic compounds e.g.
Sumaresinolic acid which is 6-hydroxy oleanolic acid.
Sian Benzoin contains;
✓ Benzoic acid 35%
✓ Resin alcohol (resinotannol) also called coniferyl alcohol. Its esters coniferyl benzoate.
✓ Vanillin
✓ Triterpinyl acids,
Medicinal uses:
- It is used as antiseptic.
- It is used as diuretic.
- It is the source of benzoic acid which is an antifungal drug.
- Sian benzoin is used as fragrance component in soaps, detergents, lotions and creams
etc.

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- It is the ingredient of compound benzoin tincture which is used as expectorant in

vapor or inhalant form.
Structure:

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