Quality evaluation of some Saussurea costus products in the Egyptian market

The use of herbal plants has been very common in Egypt since the Pharaohs' era until now due to their valuable medical benefits with low hazards and side effects. Saussurea costus roots are one of the plants that Egyptians recently employed to treat a variety of diseases, and it is a member of the endangered medicinal plants; thus, its adulteration and substitution with other species are common. This study aims to evaluate the quality of six commercial S. costus herbal products on the Egyptian market. The evaluation includes the examination of each product for quality of packaging standards, organoleptic and microscopical characteristics, some physicochemical parameters, phytochemical screening tests, and TLC studies. The photomicrographs displayed in this study show the presence of the main microscopical elements of S. costus. Phytochemical screening of the methanol cold extracts showed some differences in chemical composition between these products compared to recent studies. The extractive values of these products are different from what is suggested in the literature. These values revealed the probability of the presence of foreign materials in some products. TLC studies also revealed differences in the chemical profiles of these products. The results of qualitative analyses demonstrated the impurity and adulteration of S. costus powder products available on the Egyptian market. Therefore, further sophisticated chemical separation and quantitative analysis are required to determine exactly what adulterants are used in S. costus products in Egypt. This study recommendits that Egyptian consumers purchase S. costus as entire roots, not powder, and grind them themselves or under a trusted herbalist's supervision to avoid adulteration.