Standardization Methods for the Roots of Echinops kebericho Mesfin: An Endemic Medicinal Plant of Ethiopia

Abstract

Echinops kebericho Mesfin is one of the most important medicinal plants of Ethiopia with a long traditional use against a range of  ailments. The major limitation to the use of herbal medicines such as E. kebericho, however, is the absence of quality control parameters.  The present study aims to standardize the roots of E. kebericho using samples collected from two different geographical locations. The  standardisation was validated by using standard protocols such as microscopy, physicochemical parameters, chemo profiling with liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight-mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and  spectroscopic methods using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Microscopically, the transverse section of the root showed  vascular cambium and secondary xylem, while the longitudinal view of the root displayed vascular cambium. LC-QTOF-MS and GC-MS  analyses identified 16 and 40 compounds, respectively. The major constituents identified in the studied extracts were selected as marker  compounds. Thus, pyrocurzerenone and lappaconitine which were identified in the 80% methanol extract by LC-QTOF-MS, and  dehydrocostus lactone and dihdrodehydrocostus lactone detected in the n-hexane extract by GC-MS analysis were used as marker  compounds. IR spectral analysis further indicated that the rootextractsof E. kebericho are rich in terpenoids. These parameters  describesome physicochemical features of E. kebericho, which can be useful in its quality control and safe use. Furthermore, results from  the chemo-profiling could help in the isolation of medicinally significant compounds.