Quality control methods for

Ferric chloride R. FeCl
3
,6H
2
O. 
A suitable commercially available reagent. 

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Quality control methods for medicinal plant materials 
Ferric chloride (50 g/l) TS. 
Procedure. Dissolve 5 g of ferric chloride R in 100 ml of water. 
Florisil R. 
A suitable commercially available material for column chromatography. 
Formic acid (∼1080g/l) TS. CH
2
O
2
; d 
∼
 1.2.
A suitable commercially available reagent. 
D
-Fructose R. C
6
H
12
O
6
. 
Description. A white, crystalline powder. 
Melting point. About 103°C with decomposition. 
Specific optical rotation. Use a 0.10g/ml solution in water containing 0.05ml of 
ammonia (∼100g/l) TS; 
[ ]
= about -92°. 
C
20
D
α
°
A suitable commercially available reagent. 
D
-Galactose R. C
6
H
12
O
6
. 
Description. A white, crystalline powder.
Melting point. About 164°C. 
Specific optical rotation. Use a 0.10g/ml solution in water; 
[ ]
C
20
D
α
°
= about +80°.
A suitable commercially available reagent. 
Glucose R. Dextrose; C
6
H
12
O
6
. Quality conforms to the monograph in The 
international pharmacopoeia, Vol. 2, p. 135. 
Glucose hydrate R. Monohydrate of α-
D
-glucopyranose, C
6
H
12
O
6
, H
2
O. 
Contains not less than 99.0% and not more than 101.5% of C
6
H
12
O
6
, calculated 
with reference to the dried substance. 
Description. Colourless crystals or a white crystalline or granular powder; 
odourless.
Solubility. Soluble in about 1 part of water and in about 60 parts of ethanol (∼750 
g/l) TS; more soluble in boiling water and in boiling ethanol (∼750g/l) TS. 
Acidity. Dissolve 5g in 50ml of carbon-dioxide-free water R. Neutralization 
requires not more than 0.5ml of carbonate-free sodium hydroxide (0.02mol/l) 
VS, phenolphthalein/ethanol TS being used as indicator. 
Specific optical rotation. Dissolve 100 mg, previously dried to constant weight, in 1 
ml of water, and add a few drops of ammonia (∼100g/l) TS; 
[ ]
C
20
D
α
°
= +52 to +53°.
Soluble starch or sulfites. Dissolve 1 g in 10 ml of water and add 1 drop of iodine 
TS; the liquid is coloured yellow. 
Loss on drying. Dry to constant weight at 105°C; loses not less than 80mg/g and 
not more than 100 mg/g. 
Sulfated ash. Not more than 1.0mg/g. 
Assay. Dissolve about 0.1 g, accurately weighed, in 50 ml of water, add 30 ml of 
iodine (0.1 mol/l) VS and 10 ml of sodium carbonate (50g/l) TS, and allow to 
stand for 20 minutes. Add 15 ml of hydrochloric acid (∼70g/l) TS and titrate the 
excess of iodine with sodium thiosulfate (0.1 mol/l) VS, using starch TS as 

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Quality control methods for medicinal plant materials 
indicator. Perform a blank determination and make any necessary corrections. 
Each ml of iodine (0.1 mol/l) VS is equivalent to 9.008 mg of C
6
H
12
O
6
.