Formulation And Evaluation of Polyherbal Nutraceutical Tablet

The Kashmir Valley, renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, is equally celebrated as a biological reservoir teeming with floristic diversity. Endowed with a temperate climatic regime, the region nurtures a wide range of medicinal plant species, many of which are valued for their therapeutic and pharmaceutical potential. Among these is Salix alba L., commonly known as White Willow, which has historically been utilized in ethnomedicine and continues to garner attention for its bioactive phytoconstituents. In this study, a crude extract of Salix alba L. was prepared using a hydroalcoholic extraction method. The process utilized a solvent system composed of ethanol and distilled water in a standardized ratio of 80:20 (v/v), ensuring optimal polarity balance for the extraction of both hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds. The plant material, comprising shade-dried leaves, was coarsely powdered using a traditional mortar and pestle and subsequently subjected to maceration in the solvent mixture within a macerator apparatus. The extraction was carried out at ambient temperature (25 ± 2°C) for a duration of 72 hours with periodic agitation to enhance solute diffusion and solvent penetration. Following maceration, the resulting extract was filtered to separate the marc from the filtrate. To ensure complete removal of the ethanol component, a BUCHI Rotavapor R-300 rotary evaporator was employed under reduced pressure, facilitating the gentle evaporation of the volatile solvent without compromising phytochemical integrity. The concentrated extract was then carefully transferred to a China dish and placed in a desiccator to eliminate residual moisture and solvent traces. Subsequently, qualitative phytochemical screening was conducted to identify various classes of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, phenols, glycosides, tannins, saponins, lignins, sterols, proteins, acidic compounds, and sugars. Each step of the protocol was executed with methodological precision, utilizing state-of-the-art analytical techniques to ensure reliability and reproducibility. This comprehensive extraction and profiling aim to underscore the pharmacogenetic value of Salix alba L. and contribute to the broader understanding of Kashmir’s phytochemical wealth.