EFFECT OF POST HARVEST PROCESSING TECHNIQUES ON QUALITY AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF OLEO GUM RESIN OF COMMIPHORA WIGHTII

In recent times, there has been increasing interest among researchers relating to critical aspects that affect the development of the herbal product based industries, with storage techniques/practices and their effect on the efficacy of produce. The unscientific collection, processing and storage methods/facilities and contamination by unwanted material as well have also contributed to the negative portrayal of natural plant products globally. The secondary metabolite compounds produced by herbal plants are widely used for medicinal purposes. The roles of the secondary metabolites are mainly for protection purposes in response to specific environmental stimuli such as attacked by pathogens or harmful microbes, insects and herbivores. The common examples of secondary metabolite groups are phenolic compounds, alkaloids, terpenoids and glycosides. Some of these groups of compounds are important medicinal bioactive. Present study clearly showed that drying method, storage containers and conditions significantly affect different parameters of oleo-gum-resin of C. wightii like moisture %, essential oil content, total guggulstrone, guggulstrone E & Z% contents and biological activities. Significant deterioration in oleo-gum-resin was observed in sun dried samples stored at room temperature in jute bags under both light and dark conditions. Glass bottles followed by plastic bottles and poly bags, kept at dark conditions in controlled temperature i.e. 40C or 100C was found best storage container and condition to avoid severe deterioration of biologically active constituents as well as bioactivities of Guggul.