1.

What is the importance of determining the total ash and acid-insoluble ash content of drugs? Give their
possible composition.
The residue remaining left after incineration of the crude drug is designated as ash. The residue obtained usually represents the
inorganic salts naturally occurring in the drug and adhering to it. It varies with in definite limits according to the soils. It may also
include inorganic matter deliberately added for the purpose of adulteration. Hence, an ash value determination furnishes the
basis for judging the identity and cleanliness of any drug and gives information relative to its adulteration/contamination with
inorganicmatter, thus ash values are helpful in determining the quality and purity of drug. The total ash of a crude drug reflects the
care taken in its preparation. The acid insoluble ash is a part of the total ash that is insoluble in dilute hydrochloric acid. A higher
limit of acid-insoluble ash is imposed, especially in cases where silica may be present or when the calcium oxalate content of the
drug is higher Procedure given in Indian Pharmacopoeia was used to determine the different ash values such as total ash, acid
insoluble ash, and water-soluble ash value.
- Ash is the inorganic residue remaining after the water and organic matter have been removed by heating in the presence of
oxidizing agents, which provides a measure of the total amount of minerals within a food.
-The Acid Insoluble Ash (AIA) content is the proportion of a sample that is not hydrolyzed by 72% sulphuric acid and is not
subsequently volatilized upon the incineration of this Acid Insoluble Residue
Reference

Determination of Ash Content by Janine Suguitan , https://www.scribd.com/doc/240430970/Determination-of-AshContent Viewed Aug. 15, 2016

Ash (Acid Insoluble) ,Celignis Limited 2016 http: http://www.celignis.com/analyte.php?value=17

2. What temperature range does very dull redness indicate?
It is important to notice that the ashing temperature for biomass fuels is 550 C, lower than the typical ashing temperature for
coals, which is 780 C, The reason is that biomass ash contains several volatile elements which may not be present in the
laboratory produced ash if it is combusted in high enough temperatures. Thus, high temperatures for ash mean a nonrepresentative ash sample, both in terms of quantity and quality. It is also fairly obvious that ash collected from real-life
application will differ in some extent in composition from the fuel ash prepared in the laboratory.
Reference

The
Bioenergy
System
Planners
Handbook
BISYPLAN
2012,
retrieved
from
http://bisyplan.bionarea.eu/ash_appendix.html
3. Enumerate the approximate temperature equivalents when an electric furnace is used in ignition.
Flame color
Very dull red
Dull red
Bright red
Yellow red
White

Temperature (degrees Celsius)

500-550
500-700
800-1000
1000-1200
1200-1600

Reference

Homemade electric melting furnace. (2010, December 26). Retrieved August 16, 2016, from
http://www.metallab.net/kanthal.php
4. What is the purpose of taring the crucible before using in incineration process?
Taring the crucible is important for accuracy and since one of the steps of incineration is to ignite the crucible to heat at 725
degrees Celsius to constant weight and the reported weight loss is the fixed carbon which includes the weight of carbon left
behind as char but the value may be reduced by reported weight gain for the crucible due oxidation of metals.
Reference

Niessen, W. (1978). Combustion and incineration processes. Applications in environmental engineering: Pollution
engineering and technology 7. New York,NY: Dekker.
5. What is the official monograph limit for acid-insoluble ash content of drugs?
Acid-insoluble ash means that ash insoluble in dilute hydrochloric acid. It is often of more value than the total ash. The majority of
crude drugs contain calcium oxalate, and the quantity of calcium oxalate varies very frequently. So total ash of crude drug varies
within wide limits for specimens of genuine drug, for example rhubarb, total ash ranges from 8 to 40%.
Reference:

Shah, B. N., & Seth, A. K. (2010). Textbook of pharmacognosy and phytochemistry. New Delhi: Elsevier, a division of
Reed Elsevier India Private Limited.