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       Nutmeg is the kernel of the dried ripe seed of Myristica fragrans Houtt. [M. aromatica Sw., M. moschata Thunb., M. officinalis L. f., Aruana silvestris Burm. f., Palala fragrans (Houtt.) Kuntze] (Family Myristicaceae), Herbarium Specimen Number: DMSC 5284, Crude Drug Number: DMSc 1191.

Constituents Nutmeg contains volatile oil, of which elemicin, isoelemicin, myristicin, sabinene, safrole, and 4-terpineol are its major components. It also contains  fixed oil, etc.

Description of the plant (Figs. 1a, 1b) See under Mace.

Description Odour, strongly aromatic, characteristic; taste, pungent, spicy.
       Macroscopical (Fig. 1a) Nutmeg occurs as a whole dried seed, usually from which the seed coat has been removed. The kernel, ovoid to ovoid-globose, 1.5 to 2.8 cm long, 1.5 to 2.0 cm wide, brownish; one end round and smooth, the other end more or less truncate, with whitish to yellowish scar; surface with pale longitudinal furrows, some with irregularly reticulate wrinkles.
       Microscopical (Figs. 2a, 2b, 2c) Transverse section of the kernel of the seed shows outer zone of perisperm, inner zone of perisperm, vascular tissue, and endosperm. Outer zone of perisperm: numerous layers of thick-walled rectangular and flattened cells, and wrinkled cells containing reddish brown substance and some containing small prismatic crystals. Inner zone of perisperm: numerous layers of small thick-walled polygonal cells and large thin-walled oil cells. Vascular tissue: collateral vascular bundles, scattered in inner zone of perisperm. Endosperm: ruminated, numerous slightly thick-walled compact parenchyma cells, containing numerous simple and 2- to 4-compound starch grains.
       Nutmeg in powder possesses the diagnostic microscopical characters of the unground drug. Oil cells, starch grains and reddish brown parenchyma of perisperm are found in abundance. However, the crystalline mass of fatty oil, formed by heating the powdered drug with chloral hydrate TS can be observed.

Additional information Large quantities (5 to 30 g) of nutmeg can induce psychogenic effect.

Packaging and storage Nutmeg shall be kept in well-closed containers, preferably of metal or glass, protected from light and stored in a cool and dry place.

Identification
       A. Sonicate 2 g of the sample, in coarse powder, with 10 mL of methanol for 20 minutes and filter. To 2 mL of the filtrate, add 2 or 3 pieces of magnesium ribbon, shake well and mix with a few drops of hydrochloric acid: a reddish pink colour develops.
       B. Carry out the test as described in the “Thin-Layer Chromatography” (Appendix 3.1), using silica gel 60 F254 as the coating substance and a mixture of 70 volumes of n-hexane and 30 volumes of ethyl acetate as the mobile phase. Apply separately to the plate as bands of 8 mm, 10 μL of solution (A) and 25 μL of solution (B). Prepare solution (A) by sonicating 1 g of the sample, in coarse powder, with 10 mL of methanol for 20 minutes and filtering. Evaporate the filtrate to dryness under reduced pressure at 50°. Dissolve the residue in 1 mL of methanol. For solution (B), dissolve 1 mg of myristicin with 1 mL of methanol. After removal of the plate, allow it to dry in air and examine the plate under ultraviolet light (254 nm), marking the quenching bands. The chromatogram obtained from solution (A) shows a quenching band (hR_f value 56 to 58), corresponding to the myristicin band obtained from solution (B). Subsequently spray the plate with a 10 per cent v/v solution of sulfuric acid in absolute ethanol and heat at 105° for 10 minutes; the band due to myristicin is reddish brown. Several other bands of different colours are observed (Table 1); see also Fig. 3.

Table 1 hRf Values of Components in Methanolic Extract of the Kernels of Myristica fragrans Houtt.

                    *myristicin

Water Not more than 7.0 per cent v/w (Azeotropic Distillation Method, Appendix 4.12).

Foreign matter Not more than 2.0 per cent w/w (Appendix 7.2).

Total ash Not more than 3.0 per cent w/w (Appendix 7.7).

Ethanol-soluble extractive Not less than 11.0 per cent w/w (Appendix 7.12).

Water-soluble extractive Not less than 5.0 per cent w/w (Appendix 7.12).

Volatile oil Not less than 5.0 per cent v/w, calculated on the anhydrous basis (Appendix 7.3H). Use 10 g, in coarse powder, freshly prepared and accurately weighed. Use 200 mL of water as the distillation liquid and a 500-mL round-bottomed flask. Distil at a rate of 2 to 3 mL per minute for 3 hours. Use 2.0 mL of xylene in the graduated tube.