Resins are complex mixtures produced by plants that are usually solid and amorphous. They consist of essential oils, terpenes, carboxylic acids, and other compounds. Resins can be classified based on their botanical origin, chemical constituents, or the main portions of their chemical makeup. Some key resins discussed include benzoin, asafoetida, colophony, and myrrh. Each resin has characteristic chemical constituents and properties. Resins have various traditional medical uses as antiseptics, expectorants, and carminatives.

1. RESINS
BARKATH SHAMILA A
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND
PHARMACOGNOSY
NAZARETH COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

2. RESINS AND RESIN COMBINATIONS
 The term ‘resin’ is applied to more or less solid,
amorphous products of complex chemical nature.
These are amorphous mixtures of essential oils,
oxygenated products of terpenes and carboxylic
acids.
 Resins and related resinous products are produced
in plants during normal growth or secreted as a
result of injury to the plants
 They are usually occur in schizogenous or
schizolysigenous cavities or ducts

3. Physical characters –
All resins are heavier than water ,
they are usually amorphous ,hard, and
brittle solids.
They are insoluble in water,but
dissolve more or less completely in
alcohol,volatile oils,fixed oils &
chloroform and ether.

4. Chemically resins are complex
mixtures of resin acids, resin alcohols
(resinols), resin phenols
(resinotannols), esters and chemically
inert compounds known as resenes.
Many resins ,when boiled with alkalies
yield soaps.

5.  By the action of heat they soften yielding clear,
adhesive fluids.
 Resins burn with a characteristic, smoky flame.
 Resins are often associated with volatile oils
(oleoresins), with gums (gum-resins) or with oil and
gum (oleo-gum-resins).
 Resins may also be combined in a glycosidal
manner with sugars.

6. CLASSIFICATION OF RESINS
 Resins are classified in three different ways:
1.Taxonomical classification, i.e. according to botanical
origin
e.g. Berberidaceae resins.
2. Classification according to predominating chemical
constituent
e.g. acid resins,ester resins,resin alcohol
3.Resins may be classified according to the portion of the
main constituents of the resin or resin combination
e.g. oleoresins,oleo-gum-resins, balsams,glycoresins

7. ACID RESINS
 Here the resins occur along with their acids.
Examples –
 Colophony – Abietic acid
 Myrrh - Commiphoric acid
 Copaiba - Copaivic acid

8. ESTER RESINS –
This group contains esters as the chief constituents of
the resins.
Examples
 Benzoin and Storax ,
 Benzoin contains benzyl benzoate,
 Storax contains cinnamyl cinnamate

9. RESIN ALCOHOLS
 They occurs as in free state or as esters ,
 examples –
 Balsam of Peru with peru resino tannol
 Guaiacum resin with guaic resinol

10. They are also further classified into –
 Oleoresins: Resins & oils in homogenous mixture
Eg:Copaiba, ginger.
 Oleo-gum-resins: Homogenous mixture of volatile
oil,gum & resin.Eg:Asafoetida, myrrh.
 Balsams:If resin contains benzoic acid or cinnamic
acid.Eg:Balsam of Tolu, Balsam of Peru.
 Glycoresins : Resins in combination with glycosides
are known as glucoresins or glycoresins Eg:jalap
 Resenes : complex substances without any specific
chemical properties.neither form of any salt nor get
destroyed.Eg:Asafoetida, colophony

12. CRUDE DRUGS CONTAINING RESINS
AND RESIN COMBINATIONS
 BENZOIN
 GUGGUL
 GINGER
 ASAFOETIDA
 MYRRH
 COLOPHONY

13. BENZOIN (SUMATRA BENZOIN & SIAM
BENZOIN)
 Synonyms –
Gum benzoin, Luban, Loban, Sambrani, Lobana
 (Sumatra benzoin)
 Biological source- Benzoin is the balsamic resin
obtained from the incised stem of Styrax benzoin,
Styrax paralleloneurus Family – Styraceae
 Siam benzoin – It consists of balsamic resin of
obtained from incised stem Styrax tonkinensis, Family
- Styraceae

14.  Chemical constituents –
Sumatra benzoin contains balsamic acids –
Cinnamic acid and benzoic acid
It contains resin consisting of triterpenoids,
siaresinolic acid and suma resinolic acid
 It also contains vanillin, sterol, phenyl propyl
cinnamate responsible for the aromatic smell
 Siam benzoin
Chemical constituents – It contains an ester
coniferyl benzoate.
Siam benzoin differs from Sumatra variety in that it
contains insufficient cinnamic acid to give an odour of
benzaldehyde when warmed with KMnO4 solution.

15. IDENTIFICATION TEST
1. Heat small amount of benzoin slowly in a dry
test tube & cover the opening of test tube glass
plate--- melts and evolves white fumes is produced.
which on condensation form crystalline sublimate
2.Benzoin heated with potassium permanganate
solution --- odour of benzaldehyde ( Sumatra benzoin
)
3.Benzoin is extracted with alcohol and to the extract
add water --- milky white solution is formed

16. 4. Digest benzoin with few drops of petroleum ether
for 5 minutes . Pour 1ml of the etherial solution in a
porcelain dish containing 2-3 drops of con. Sulphuric
acid and rotate the dish deep brown colour is
produced in case of Sumatra benzoin & a deep
purplish red color in case of Siam benzoin(Benzoin
confirmed).

17.  Uses -
 Used as an antiseptic & protective
 Used as an irritating expectorant
 Used as a stimulant
 It is used in the preparation of Compound
benzoin tincture
 Used as carminative, and diuretic
 Used in the teatment of Upper Respiratory Tract
Infection.

19. ASAFOETIDA
 Synonyms –Devil’s dung
 Biological source – It is the oleo-gum-resin obtained by
incising rhizomes and roots of Ferula foetida,Family –
Umbelliferae.
 Chemical constituents -
It contains Oleo-gum-resin
 Volatile oil contains Pinene, organic disulphide
(isobutylpropenyl disulphide responsible for
alliaceous odour)
 Resin contains asaresinotannaol in free form or
combination with ferulic acid

21.  Chemical tests -
1.Powder triturated with water – yellowish orange
emulsion is produced.
2. Combined umbelliferone test –
Drug is boiled with hydrochloric acid for 5minutes .It is
filtered and ammonia is added to the filtrate – A blue
fluorescence is produced.
3. Drug is treated with few drops of 50% nitric acid –
green colour is produced
4. Drug is treated with few drops of sulphuric acid –
red colour is produced which changes to violet on
washing with water

22. Uses –
1. As a carminative, an expectorant.
2. Antispasmodic , as a laxative,
3. Nervine stimulant , intestinal flatulence
4. Laxative,flavouring agent

24. COLOPHONY
Synonyms – Long needle pine,Rosin
 Biological source –
Colophony is the solid residue obtained after distilling
the oleo-resin from various species of pinus- Pinus
longifolia, Pinus palustris, Pinus maritima
 Family - Pinaceae

25.  CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS
It contains resin acids – abietic acid , neutral inert
substance – resenes, esters of fatty acid,other acids
present in colophony are sapinic acid and pimaric acid.
 Chemical tests –
1.Dissolve the powdered drug in 2-3ml of acetic
anhydride in a test tube and a drop of con.Sulphuric acid –
violet colour is produced
2. An alcoholic solution of colophony is acidic to litmus
3. Colophony is dissolved in light petroleum and filtered.
To the filtrate 2-3 times its volume , dilute copper acetate
solution is added – emerald green colour is seen in the
petroleum layer ( upper layer)

26. CHEMICAL STRUCTURES

27.  Uses –
 Used in the preparation of plasters and ointments.
 Used in the manufacture of varnishes and
disinfecting liquids

29. MYRRH
SYNONYMS: Myrrh,Gum myrrh
BOTANICAL SOURCE:
Oleo gum resin obtained from
incisions made in the stem bark of
Commiphora molomol & other
species of Commiphora.
FAMILY:Burseraceae

30.  CONSTITUENTS:It mainly contain oleo-gum resin.
Odor of myrrh is due to presence of volatile oil.
 Resin composed of Resin acids (alpha, beta, and
gamma-Commiphoric acids)
 •Resenes:Phenolic compounds, one of which yields
protocatechuic acid and pyrocatechin.
 Gum that forms mucilage and yield arabinose on
hydrolysis.
 USES:
 As protective.
 As stimulant and stomachic
 In mouth washes as astringent