Willow bark EUROPEAN PHARMACOPOEIA 11.

Plate : TLC silica gel F254 plate R (5-40 μm) [or TLC silica 01/2013:1583
gel F254 plate R (2-10 μm)].

Mobile phase : anhydrous formic acid R, water R, ethyl

acetate R (1:1:15 V/V/V).

Application : 20 μL [or 5 μL] as bands of 20 mm [or 8 mm]. WILLOW BARK

Development : over a path of 15 cm [or 6 cm]. Salicis cortex
Drying : in air. DEFINITION
Whole or fragmented dried bark of young branches or
Detection : heat at 100 °C for 3 min ; treat the still-hot plate whole dried pieces of current-year twigs of various species of
with a 5 g/L solution of diphenylboric acid aminoethyl genus Salix including S. purpurea L., S. daphnoides Vill. and
ester R in ethyl acetate R, then treat with a 50 g/L solution S. fragilis L.
of macrogol 400 R in methylene chloride R ; examine in
Content : minimum 1.5 per cent of total salicylic derivatives,
ultraviolet light at 365 nm.
expressed as salicin (C13H18O7 ; Mr 286.3) (dried drug).
Results : see below the sequence of zones present in the IDENTIFICATION
chromatograms obtained with the reference solution and
A. The bark is 1-2 mm thick and occurs in flexible, elongated,
the test solution. Furthermore, other faint fluorescent
quilled or curved pieces. The outer surface is smooth
zones may be present in the chromatogram obtained with
or slightly wrinkled longitudinally and greenish-yellow
the test solution.
or brownish-grey. The inner surface is smooth or
finely striated longitudinally and white, pale yellow or
Top of the plate reddish-brown, depending on the species. The fracture is
A red fluorescent zone short in the outer part and coarsely fibrous in the inner
region. The diameter of current-year twigs is not greater
than 10 mm. The wood is white or pale yellow.
Rosmarinic acid : a blue A blue fluorescent zone
fluorescent zone (rosmarinic acid)
_______ _______

1 or 2 blue fluorescent zones

_______ _______

A yellow or orange fluorescent

zone
A green or blue fluorescent zone
may be present
Rutoside : an orange-yellow
fluorescent zone
Reference solution Test solution

TESTS
Foreign matter (2.8.2) : maximum 3 per cent, determined on
30 g.
Thymus vulgaris L. or Thymus zygis L. Adulteration with
T. vulgaris L. or T. zygis L. is indicated by the presence of
acicular to linear-lanceolate leaves with a strongly bent margin,
the adaxial surface showing covering trichomes shaped as
pointed teeth with warty walls, the abaxial surface showing
many types of warty covering trichomes : unicellular, straight
or slightly curved, bicellular or tricellular, often elbow-shaped,
and bicellular or tricellular, more or less straight.
Loss on drying (2.2.32) : maximum 10.0 per cent, determined
on 1.000 g of the powdered herbal drug (355) (2.9.12) by
drying in an oven at 105 °C for 2 h.
Figure 1583.-1. – Illustration for identification test B of
Total ash (2.4.16) : maximum 10.0 per cent. powdered herbal drug of willow bark
Ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid (2.8.1): maximum 3.0 per B. Microscopic examination (2.8.23). The powder is pale
cent. yellow, greenish-yellow or light brown. Examine under a
microscope using chloral hydrate solution R. The powder
shows the following diagnostic characters (Figure 1583.-1) :
bundles [B, C] of narrow fibres [Ba, Ca], up to about 600 μm
ASSAY
long, with very thick walls and surrounded by a crystal
Essential oil (2.8.12). Use 50.0 g of the cut herbal drug, a sheath containing prisms of calcium oxalate [Bb, Cb] ;
1000 mL round-bottomed flask and 500 mL of water R as parenchymatous cells of the cortex [D, J], with thick, pitted
the distillation liquid. Distil at a rate of 2-3 mL/min for 2 h and deeply beaded walls [Da], and containing large cluster
without xylene R in the graduated tube. crystals of calcium oxalate [Ga, Ja] ; some parenchyma

1778 See the information section on general monographs (cover pages)

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EUROPEAN PHARMACOPOEIA 11.0 Willow bark dry extract

cells are collenchymatous [G] ; uniseriate medullary rays volumetric flask, wash and dilute to 100.0 mL with a mixture
(tangential section [Db]) ; thickened cork cells (surface of equal volumes of methanol R and water R. Filter through a
view [F]) ; numerous scattered prism crystals [E] and membrane filter (nominal pore size 0.45 μm).
cluster crystals [A] of calcium oxalate ; fragments of Reference solution. Dissolve 5.0 mg of picein R in 25.0 mL
brownish collenchyma from the buds may also be present. of a mixture of 20 volumes of water R and 80 volumes of
Twigs show, additionally, wood fragments [H] composed methanol R (solution A). Dissolve 15.0 mg of salicin CRS in
of lignified fibres [Ha] and vessels [Hb], sometimes 25 mL of a mixture of 20 volumes of water R and 80 volumes
accompanied by medullary rays [Hc]. of methanol R ; add 5.0 mL of solution A and dilute to 50.0 mL
C. Thin-layer chromatography (2.2.27). with water R.
Test solution (a). To 1.0 g of the powdered herbal drug Column :
(355) (2.9.12) add 10 mL of methanol R. Heat on a – size : l = 0.10 m, Ø = 4.6 mm ;
water-bath at about 50 °C, with frequent shaking, for – stationary phase : octadecylsilyl silica gel for
10 min. Cool and filter. chromatography R (3 μm).
Test solution (b). To 5.0 mL of test solution (a) add 1.0 mL Mobile phase :
of a 50 g/L solution of anhydrous sodium carbonate R and
heat in a water-bath at about 60 °C for 10 min. Cool and – mobile phase A : tetrahydrofuran R, 0.5 per cent V/V
filter if necessary. solution of phosphoric acid R (1.8:98.2 V/V) ;
Reference solution. Dissolve 2 mg of salicin R and 2 mg of – mobile phase B : tetrahydrofuran R ;
chlorogenic acid R in 1.0 mL of methanol R. Time Mobile phase A Mobile phase B
Plate : TLC silica gel plate R (5-40 μm) [or TLC silica gel (min) (per cent V/V) (per cent V/V)
plate R (2-10 μm)].
Mobile phase : water R, methanol R, ethyl acetate R 0 - 15 100 0
(8:15:77 V/V/V). 15 - 17 100 → 90 0 → 10
Application : 10 μL [or 2 μL] as bands.
17 - 23 90 10
Development : over a path of 15 cm [or 6 cm].
Drying : in a current of warm air. Flow rate : 1.0 mL/min.
Detection : treat with a mixture of 5 volumes of sulfuric Detection : spectrophotometer at 270 nm.
acid R and 95 volumes of methanol R. Heat at 100-105 °C Injection : 10 μL.
for 5 min and examine in daylight.
Retention time : salicin = about 6.4 min ; pi-
Results : see below the sequence of zones present in the cein = about 7.7 min.
chromatograms obtained with the reference solution
and test solutions (a) and (b). Furthermore, other zones System suitability : reference solution :
may be present in the chromatograms obtained with test – resolution : minimum 1.5 between the peaks due to salicin
solutions (a) and (b). and picein.
Calculate the percentage content of total salicylic derivatives,
Top of the plate expressed as salicin, using the following expression :
_______ _______ A1 ´ m 2 ´ p ´ 2
Several reddish- A 2 ´ m1
violet zones may be
present
A1 = area of the peak due to salicin in the chromatogram
Salicin : a reddish- A weak reddish- A reddish-violet zone obtained with the test solution ;
violet zone violet zone (salicin) (salicin)
A2 = area of the peak due to salicin in the chromatogram
_______ _______ obtained with the reference solution ;
Chlorogenic acid : a m1
brown zone = mass of the herbal drug to be examined used to
prepare the test solution, in grams ;
Reference solution Test solution (a) Test solution (b)
m2 = mass of salicin CRS used to prepare the reference
TESTS solution, in grams ;
Foreign matter (2.8.2) : maximum 3 per cent of twigs with p = percentage content of salicin in salicin CRS.
a diameter greater than 10 mm and maximum 2 per cent of
other foreign matter.
Cadmium (2.4.27): maximum 2.0 ppm.
04/2008:2312
Loss on drying (2.2.32): maximum 11 per cent, determined
on 1.000 g of the powdered herbal drug (355) (2.9.12) by
drying in an oven at 105 °C for 2 h.
Total ash (2.4.16) : maximum 10 per cent.
ASSAY WILLOW BARK DRY EXTRACT
Liquid chromatography (2.2.29).
Test solution. To 1.000 g of the powdered herbal drug (355) Salicis corticis extractum siccum
(2.9.12) add 40 mL of methanol R and 40.0 mL of a 4.2 g/L DEFINITION
solution of sodium hydroxide R. Heat in a water-bath at about
60 °C under a reflux condenser, with frequent shaking, for Dry extract produced from Willow bark (1583).
about 1 h. After cooling, add 4.0 mL of a 103.0 g/L solution Content : minimum 5.0 per cent of total salicylic derivatives,
of hydrochloric acid R. Filter the suspension into a 100 mL expressed as salicin (C13H18O7 ; Mr 286.3) (dried extract).

General Notices (1) apply to all monographs and other texts 1779
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