HERBAL INDICATORS FROM NATURAL SOURCES

Introduction: Herbal indicators are naturally occurring substances derived from plant sources that exhibit distinct color changes in response to variations in pH or chemical environments. These plant-based indicators serve as eco-friendly, biodegradable, and non-toxic alternatives to synthetic chemical indicators traditionally used in analytical chemistry and titrations.Sources of Herbal Indicators:Common plants that serve as sources of indicators include:Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Shoe flower)Rosa indica (Rose)Beta vulgaris (Beetroot)Brassica oleracea (Red cabbage)Curcuma longa (Turmeric)Clitoria ternatea (Butterfly pea)These plants contain naturally occurring pigments such as anthocyanins, flavonoids, betalains, and curcuminoids that undergo visible changes under different pH conditions.Mechanism of Action:The color change in herbal indicators is due to the structural transformation of pigment molecules under acidic or basic conditions. Anthocyanins (found in red cabbage, hibiscus, rose) shift from red (acidic) to purple/blue (neutral) to green/yellow (basic).Curcumin (from turmeric) is yellow in acidic/neutral and turns reddish-brown in basic media.Applications in Research.

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Mr. S. G. Raman, Professor in charge of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Mohamed Sathak A. J. College of Pharmacy, Chennai. He has 15 years of Experience in the teaching field and Mrs. R. Jothilakshmi, Associate Professor in Pharmacognosy Department at Mohamed Sathak A. J. College of Pharmacy, Chennai. She has 11 Years experience in teaching field.