Pharkphoom Panichayupakaranant and Niwan Intaraksa

pp. 497 - 502

Abstract

Analyses have been carried out on the content of hydroxyanthracene derivatives of the leaves, flowers
and pods of Cassia alata, which had been collected at different harvesting times and different leaf-positions.
It was found that when the leaves had been harvested in March, June or September, the hydroxyanthracene
derivatives were accumulated more in the leaf-positions 1-3 (1.82, 1.25, 1.63 %w/w, respectively) and 4-6
(1.39, 1.58, 1.09 %w/w, respectively). In December (the flowering and fruiting season), hydroxyanthracene
derivatives were accumulated more in the flowers (2.21%w/w) and the pods (1.82 %w/w), respectively. The
method and temperature of drying markedly affected the hydroxyanthracene derivative content. Drying of
the leaves in a hot air oven at 50ºC gave a higher hydroxyanthracene derivative content (1.43 %w/w) than
drying in a hot air oven at 80ºC (0.44 %w/w) or drying in the sun (0.95 %w/w). Study on the stability of
hydroxyanthracene derivatives in C. alata leaf powder, which was kept in tight container at room temperature, found that the hydroxyanthracene derivative content did not decrease within 9 months.

Keywords

• Senna alata
• Cassia alata
• hydroxyanthracene
• harvesting
• drying