2. Storage & Preservation
Most plant drugs undergo a period of storage
before they are finally used by industries to
prepare pharmaceutical and medicinal products.
During this period, many undesirable changes can
occur if they are not properly stored and
preserved against re-absorption of moisture,
oxidation, excessive heat or humidity, direct
sunlight, growth of moulds and bacteria and
infestation by insects and rodents.
Proper storage & preservation are thus very
important factors in maintaining high degree of
quality in crude drugs.
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3. Store houses:
It should be well built with steel, concretes or bricks
to prevent rodent from having access.
The store house should be cool, dark and well
ventilated with dry air to protect the drugs from
excessive light and heat, undesirable oxidation and
reabsorption of moisture.
Containers:
Drugs in cardboard boxes, wooden cases, sacks and
paper bags reabsorb up to 10-12 % or more of
moisture and become ‘air dry’. Most drugs maintain
their good quality in this condition if they are
protected from other deteriorating agents.
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4. Cannabis and Digitalis lose a considerable part of their
activity when they become ‘air-dry’. They should therefore be
kept in sealed containers with dehydrating agents. For large
quantity, the bottom of the case may be filled with quicklime
and separated from the drug by perforated grid or sacking.
Volatile and fixed oils are liable to oxidation and should be
stored in sealed, well-filled containers. In the case of fixed
oils like cod-liver oils, the air in the container can be replaced
with inert gas.
Air-dry drugs such as ginger, belladonna root, nutmeg,
coriander, stramonium, rhubarb, aconite and ergot are stored in
cardboard boxes, wooden cases, sacks and paper bags. They
are liable to the attack of insects, mite, fungi and bacteria, so
they should be examined frequently during storage and any
showing of moulds or worminess, should be rejected.
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5. Insect pests of stored plant drugs include
members of the order Lepidoptera (moths and
butterfly) which in their larva stage attack most
root and rhizome drugs.
Coleoptera (weevils and beetles) attack many
different drugs and spices.
Arachnida (mites) attack Cantharides, ergot and
linseed.
Beetles, moths and mites’ attack can be
prevented by storing drugs in air-tight
containers and in a dry cool atmosphere.
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6. Insects, fungi and bacteria’ attack can be prevented
by exposing the drugs periodically to the
temperature of 60-65oC. Fumigation of
storehouses with methyl bromide, ethylene oxide
and other similar toxic gases and vapour
effectively destroy insects and micro-organisms
and prevent their replication.
Insect pests can also be controlled effectively by
chloroform and carbon tetrachloride.
Wooden boxes or paper bags or carton boxes
should not be used to store drugs susceptible to
reabsorption of moisture or insects and microbial
attack.
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7. Easily oxidised drugs or adversely affected by light
and moisture are most suitably stored in tin cans,
covered metal bins and amber glass containers.
Elevated temperature accelerates all chemical
reactions therefore, storehouses should be as cool as
possible.
Enzymes, vaccines, toxins and toxoids should be
stored in deep freezers at a temperature of 0-4oC and
in some cases, below 0oC.
Cascara long storage is not recommended.
Indian hemp and Sarsaparilla deteriorate even
when carefully stored.
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8. The content of taxol in Taxus baccata leaf and
extracts stored at room temperature for one year
decreased by 30-40 % and 70-80 % respectively.
Storage in a freezer and out of direct sunlight
produced no adverse deterioration.
Alkamides of the popular immunostimulant
herb Echinacea purpurea decreased rapidly on
storage. Storage of alkamides for 64 weeks at
24oC produces an 80 % loss and a significant
loss even at 18oC.
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9. In order to reduce undesirable microbial
contamination and to prevent the development
of other microorganisms, some plant materials
may require sterilization before storage.
Plastic sacks effectively sealed drugs from
deterioration by moisture and other factors.
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