LILY OF THE VALLEY - FOR HOMOEOPATHIC PREPARATIONS

Aug 20, 2026

Specification and quality control for Convallaria majalis L. used in homoeopathic mother tinctures. Defines macroscopic and microscopic characters, characteristic odour, and detailed identification via thin-layer chromatography with defined reagents and reference solutions. Includes limits for foreign matter and loss on drying, establishes alcohol strength and dry residue requirements, and provides an assay workflow based on UV/visible spectrophotometry and preparation of test versus reference solutions. Content follows European Pharmacopoeia general texts and French Pharmacopoeia 2007 guidance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Definition

Characters

Identification

Test A

Test B

Tests

Stock

Definition

Characters

Identification

Thin-layer chromatography A

Thin-layer chromatography B

Tests

Assay

LILY OF THE VALLEY FOR HOMOEOPATHIC PREPARATIONS CONVALLARIA MAJALIS FOR HOMOEOPATHIC PREPARATIONS Convallaria majalis ad praeparationes homoeopathicas DEFINITION Whole, fresh, blooming plant, Convallaria majalis L. CHARACTERS Macroscopic and microscopic characters described under identification tests A and B. Characteristic odour. IDENTIFICATION A. Perennial herb with creeping rhizome bearing numerous rootlets. Stem 10 cm to 20 cm high with at the base 2 amplecant leaves, curvinervate, lanceolate-oval, about 4 cm large on 10 cm to 15 cm long. Inflorescence in unilateral raceme at the tip of the bare stalk. White, globular bellshaped flowers with 6 curved teeth, 6 stamens , 3-carpel ovary topped by a short style. B. Take a sample of epidermis from the underside of a leaf of lily of the valley. Examine under a microscope, using chloral hydrate solution R. Stomatiferous abaxial epidermis; elongated epidermis cells, more or less rectangular to parallelipipedic measuring about 100 µm long and 25 µm large; numerous stomata surrounded by four subsidiary cells (similar to the other epidermis cells), two are placed on either side of the stomata parallel to the ostiole, the other two are located at each end of the stoma. TESTS Foreign matter (2.8.2): maximum 5 per cent. Loss on drying (2.2.32): minimum 70.0 per cent, determined on 5.0 g of finely-cut drug, by drying in an oven at 105 °C for 2 h. STOCK DEFINITION Lily of the valley mother tincture complies with the requirements of the general technique for the preparation of mother tinctures (see Homoeopathic Preparations (1038) and French Pharmacopoeia Authority Supplement) . The mother tincture is prepared with ethanol (65 per cent V/V) , using the whole, fresh, blooming plant, Convallaria majalis L. The General Chapters and General Monographs ofthe European Pharmacopoeia and Preamble of the French Pharmacopoeia apply. French Pharmacopoeia 2007 LILY OF THE VALLEY FOR HOMOEOPATHIC PREPARATIONS 2 Content: minimum 0.040 per cent m/m of cardenolic heterosides, expressed as digitoxin (C41 H64O12 ; Mr 765) . CHARACTERS Appearance: greenish-brown liquid. IDENTIFICATION A. Thin layer chromatography (2.2.27) . Test solution. Mother tincture. Reference solution. Dissolve 10 mg of aescin R and 10 mg of asiaticoside R in 10 mL of methanol R. Plate: TLC silica gel plate R. Mobile phase: glacial acetic acid R , water R, butanol R (10:10:40 V/V/V) . Application: 50 µL, as bands. Development: over a path of 10 cm. Drying: in air. Detection: spray with a 100 g/L solution of sulfuric acid R in ethanol (96 per cent) R. Heat at 100-105 °C for 10 min. Examine in daylight. Results: see below the sequence of zones present in the chromatograms obtained with the reference solution and the test solution. Furthermore other faint zones may be present in the chromatogram obtained with the test solution. | Top of the plate | | | --- | --- | | Asiaticoside: a grey zone
Aescin: a purplish-grey zone | A purplish-pink zone
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A greyish-brown zone
A grey zone
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One to two more or less isolated brown zones | | Reference solution | Test solution | B. Thin layer chromatography (2.2.27) . The General Chapters and General Monographs ofthe European Pharmacopoeia and Preamble of the French Pharmacopoeia apply. French Pharmacopoeia 2007 LILY OF THE VALLEY FOR HOMOEOPATHIC PREPARATIONS 3 Test solution. Heat 10 mL of mother tincture to the boiling point for 2 min with 5 mL of lead acetate solution R. After cooling, centrifuge the mixture. Shake the supernatant with 15 mL of methylene chloride R. Collect the organic solution and dry it on anhydrous sodium sulfate R. Filter on cotton plug. Evaporate on a water-bath. Dissolve the residue in 1 mL of ethanol (70 percent V/V) R. Reference solution. Dissolve 2 mg of convallatoxine R and 5 mg of digitoxin R in 10 mL of methanol R. Plate: TLC silica gel plate R. Mobile phase:

FAQs

What plant material is defined for these homoeopathic preparations?

The whole, fresh, blooming plant of Convallaria majalis L. is used.

How is the material identified in the identification tests?

Identification relies on macroscopic/microscopic characteristics and thin-layer chromatography using specified reference and test solutions and detection reagents.

What quality limits are specified for the tests?

Foreign matter is limited to a maximum of 5%, and loss on drying must be at least 70% under the stated drying conditions.

Aug 20, 2026

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