Published Paper Details:

Increased demand of Asphaltum (Shilajit) in immunity modulation and fertility has generated intense interest among the producers and regulators to ensure its quality. For doing so, there is a need to isolate its chemical markers and analyze the same. Urolithins (Benzocoumarins) are one of the bioactive phytoconstituents in Asphaltum. Urolithin A and B are found to be present in Shilajit. The objective of this study was to develop a simple method for isolation of Urolithin A and B from Asphaltum. Elementary solvent partitioning technique was used for the extraction and isolation of Urolithins. Organic solvents like Methanol, Ethyl acetate, Petroleum ether etc were used. The isolated compounds were identified and characterized by TLC, UV, IR and MS spectral analysis and purity was confirmed by HPLC analysis. The isolated markers Urolithin A shows absorption maxima at 280, retention factor at 0.22, m/z at 277; Urolithin B shows absorption maxima at 277 and 303, retention factor at 0.6 and m/z at 211 nm which complies with the literature values. The purity as obtained by HPLC for Urolithin A and B is 93.1%w/w and 90.65%w/w. This isolation method developed involved easy solvent-solvent extraction technique instead of tedious column chromatography and preparative thin layer chromatographic technique.