Powdered Ipecac
» Powdered Ipecac is Ipecac reduced to a fine or a very fine powder and adjusted to a potency of not less than 1.9 percent and not more than 2.1 percent of the total ether-soluble alkaloids of ipecac, by the addition of exhausted marc of ipecac or of other suitable inert diluent or by the addition of powdered ipecac of either a lower or a higher potency.
The content of emetine (C29H40N2O4) and cephaeline (C28H38N2O4) together is not less than 90.0 percent of the total amount of the ether-soluble alkaloids. The content of cephaeline varies from an amount equal to, to an amount not more than 2.5 times, the content of emetine.
Packaging and storage— Preserve in tight containers.
Botanic characteristics— Thin-walled, fairly small cork cells, the starch grains rarely simple and usually 2- to 8-compound, the single grains up to 22 µm in diameter; raphides of calcium oxalate 30 to 80 µm in length; tracheids and tracheidal vessels found in groups having very numerous, small, bordered pits; parenchyma of phelloderm filled with starch or acicular crystals of calcium oxalate, having cells thin-walled, oval with intercellular spaces; parenchyma of the xylem composed of small rectangular and longitudinally elongated cells with moderately thick walls and scattered bordered or simple pits; rhizome parenchyma cells larger than root parenchyma cells, with slightly thicker walls and lignified with fairly numerous simple pits; sclereids from the rhizome large, rectangular, with uneven walls and large, conspicuous pits.
Assay for total ether-soluble alkaloids— Proceed with Powdered Ipecac as directed in the Assay for total ether-soluble alkaloids under Ipecac.
Assay for emetine and cephaeline—
Standard preparation, Phosphate buffer, Citric acid buffer, and Chromatographic columns— Prepare as directed in the Assay for emetine and cephaeline under Ipecac.
Assay preparation— Transfer to a 150-mL beaker about 200 mg, accurately weighed, of Powdered Ipecac. Add 2 mL of dimethyl sulfoxide, mix with a flattened stirring rod to ensure complete wetting of the powder, and allow to stand for about 30 minutes. Add 2 mL of water and about 1 g of sodium bicarbonate, and mix.
Procedure— Proceed as directed for Procedure in the Assay for emetine and cephaeline under Ipecac. Calculate the quantity, in mg, of emetine in the portion of Powdered Ipecac taken by the formula:
0.05C(A283 – A350)U / (A283 – A350)S
in which the parenthetic expressions are the differences in the absorbances of the solution of emetine from the Assay preparation (U) and the Standard preparation (S), respectively, at the wavelengths indicated by the subscripts; and C is as defined for Procedure in the Assay for emetine and cephaeline under Ipecac. Calculate the quantity, in mg, of cephaeline in the portion of Powdered Ipecac taken by the formula:
0.971(0.05C)(A283 – A350)U / (A283 – A350)S
in which 0.971 is the ratio of the molecular weight of cephaeline to that of emetine; the parenthetic expressions are the differences in the absorbances of the solution of cephaeline from the Assay preparation (U) and the Standard preparation (S), respectively, at the wavelengths indicated by the subscripts; and C is as defined above.
Auxiliary Information— Please check for your question in the FAQs before contacting USP.
Topic/Question Contact Expert Committee
Monograph Maged H. Sharaf, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
1-301-816-8318		 (DSB05) Dietary Supplements - Botanicals
Reference Standards Lili Wang, Technical Services Scientist
1-301-816-8129
RSTech@usp.org
USP32–NF27 Page 2683
Pharmacopeial Forum: Volume No. 30(3) Page 867