Basic tests for herbal dosage forms MCQs With Answer provides B.Pharm students a concise, practical primer on quality control, standardization and safety evaluation of phytopharmaceuticals. This introduction covers identification tests (organoleptic, microscopy, TLC/HPTLC), physicochemical assays (loss on drying, ash values, extractive values), microbial and heavy metal limits, and formulation checks (uniformity, disintegration, dissolution, friability). Emphasis is on test purpose, methodology and interpretation to ensure reproducible potency, purity and stability of herbal tablets, capsules, extracts and topical forms. These focused MCQs with answers reinforce core concepts required for laboratory practice, pharmacopeial compliance and rational herbal product development. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. What is the primary purpose of performing basic tests on herbal dosage forms?
- To ensure aesthetic appearance of the product
- To confirm safety, purity, identity and quality for therapeutic use
- To increase market price of herbal products
- To alter the botanical origin of herbs
Correct Answer: To confirm safety, purity, identity and quality for therapeutic use
Q2. Which identification test is most appropriate for powdered herbal drugs to reveal characteristic cell types and structures?
- Thin-layer chromatography (TLC)
- Organoleptic evaluation
- Microscopic examination of powder
- UV spectrophotometry
Correct Answer: Microscopic examination of powder
Q3. Which test quantifies extraneous inorganic and organic particles in crude herbal drugs?
- Loss on drying
- Foreign matter determination
- Total ash value
- Extractive value
Correct Answer: Foreign matter determination
Q4. Loss on drying in herbal dosage forms primarily measures which parameter?
- Total ash content
- Volatile oil content
- Moisture content or volatile matter
- Alcohol-soluble extractive
Correct Answer: Moisture content or volatile matter
Q5. What information does the total ash value of a herbal drug provide?
- Amount of volatile oils present
- Total inorganic residue including natural and added minerals
- Concentration of active marker compound
- Microbial contamination level
Correct Answer: Total inorganic residue including natural and added minerals
Q6. Acid-insoluble ash in a herbal sample indicates presence of which contaminant?
- Water-soluble salts
- Siliceous materials such as sand
- Alkaloid content
- Microbial endotoxins
Correct Answer: Siliceous materials such as sand
Q7. Water-soluble extractive value is used to estimate what?
- Amount of lipid constituents
- Polar constituents extractable in water like glycosides and tannins
- Total ash
- Heavy metal contamination
Correct Answer: Polar constituents extractable in water like glycosides and tannins
Q8. Alcohol-soluble extractive value reflects which class of phytochemicals?
- Highly polar carbohydrates only
- Alcohol-soluble constituents such as flavonoids and resins
- Inorganic salts
- Microbial contaminants
Correct Answer: Alcohol-soluble constituents such as flavonoids and resins
Q9. What is the main use of TLC/HPTLC in herbal dosage form testing?
- Measuring tablet hardness
- Fingerprinting, identification and semi-quantitative estimation of constituents
- Determining moisture content
- Measuring pH of solutions
Correct Answer: Fingerprinting, identification and semi-quantitative estimation of constituents
Q10. Which analytical technique is preferred for precise assay of a defined marker compound in herbal extracts?
- Loss on drying
- High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
- Organoleptic testing
- Total ash determination
Correct Answer: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
Q11. Microbial limit tests for herbal dosage forms are intended to control what?
- Only fungal spores
- Permissible total microbial counts and absence of specific pathogens
- Tablet dissolution rate
- Amount of volatile oil
Correct Answer: Permissible total microbial counts and absence of specific pathogens
Q12. Which method is commonly used for detecting Escherichia coli contamination in herbal liquids?
- Heavy metal analysis
- Preservative efficacy test
- Presence/absence (P/A) test or membrane filtration for E. coli
- Thin-layer chromatography
Correct Answer: Presence/absence (P/A) test or membrane filtration for E. coli
Q13. Which instrumentation is routinely used for heavy metal limit testing in herbal products?
- UV–visible spectrophotometer
- Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) or ICP-MS
- Paper chromatography
- Disintegration apparatus
Correct Answer: Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) or ICP-MS
Q14. What is the preferred screening technique for pesticide residues in herbal raw materials?
- Microbial limit test
- Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)
- Friability testing
- Acid-insoluble ash
Correct Answer: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)
Q15. For tablets and capsules, which test verifies consistency of mass across units?
- Disintegration test
- Uniformity of weight (weight variation test)
- Preservative efficacy
- Acid-insoluble ash
Correct Answer: Uniformity of weight (weight variation test)
Q16. Disintegration testing of herbal tablets ensures what?
- Tablet color uniformity
- Breakdown into particles suitable for dissolution and absorption
- Absence of heavy metals
- Extraction yield
Correct Answer: Breakdown into particles suitable for dissolution and absorption
Q17. The dissolution test for herbal tablets primarily measures which attribute?
- Physical appearance
- Rate and extent of marker or active release into medium
- Total ash content
- Preservative concentration
Correct Answer: Rate and extent of marker or active release into medium
Q18. What does the friability test evaluate for herbal tablets?
- Chemical assay of marker compound
- Resistance to abrasion, chipping and weight loss during handling
- Moisture content
- Microbial contamination
Correct Answer: Resistance to abrasion, chipping and weight loss during handling
Q19. Tablet hardness testing indicates which property of a herbal tablet?
- Inter-particle moisture
- Crushing strength required to break the tablet
- Amount of volatile oil
- Pesticide residue level
Correct Answer: Crushing strength required to break the tablet
Q20. When should content uniformity be preferred over weight variation testing?
- For non-potent, bulk-dose tablets only
- When the active constituent is a low-dose or highly potent marker requiring precise assay per unit
- For assessing microbial load
- For ointment viscosity measurement
Correct Answer: When the active constituent is a low-dose or highly potent marker requiring precise assay per unit
Q21. What is the goal of the preservative efficacy test (PET) for liquid herbal formulations?
- Measure tablet disintegration time
- Evaluate effectiveness of preservative system against microbial challenges over time
- Determine ash content
- Assess particle size distribution
Correct Answer: Evaluate effectiveness of preservative system against microbial challenges over time
Q22. Stability testing of herbal dosage forms is performed to determine what?
- Only initial organoleptic properties
- Shelf-life, change in potency, degradation and storage conditions
- Immediate microbial counts only
- Pesticide residue at source
Correct Answer: Shelf-life, change in potency, degradation and storage conditions
Q23. Which standard accelerated stability conditions are commonly used for herbal products following ICH guidelines?
- 25°C/40% RH
- 40°C/75% RH
- 5°C/0% RH
- 60°C/90% RH
Correct Answer: 40°C/75% RH
Q24. Why is pH measurement important for liquid herbal dosage forms?
- It indicates tablet hardness
- It affects stability, solubility, preservative activity and irritation potential
- It measures total ash
- It replaces microbial limit tests
Correct Answer: It affects stability, solubility, preservative activity and irritation potential
Q25. Which assay is widely used to evaluate antioxidant potential of herbal extracts in quality control?
- Disintegration test
- DPPH free radical scavenging assay
- Friability test
- Acid-insoluble ash
Correct Answer: DPPH free radical scavenging assay
Q26. Organoleptic evaluation of herbal dosage forms includes assessment of which attributes?
- Only chemical markers
- Color, odor, taste and texture
- Microbial limit only
- Heavy metal levels
Correct Answer: Color, odor, taste and texture
Q27. Which factors influence extractive values of a herbal drug?
- Particle size, solvent polarity, extraction time and temperature
- Only the brand name
- Tablet hardness exclusively
- Pesticide residue solely
Correct Answer: Particle size, solvent polarity, extraction time and temperature
Q28. Which qualitative test is commonly used to detect presence of tannins in herbal extracts?
- Iodine test for starch
- Ferric chloride (FeCl3) test producing blue-black or green coloration
- Disintegration test
- Microbial limit test
Correct Answer: Ferric chloride (FeCl3) test producing blue-black or green coloration
Q29. Which reagent is used to detect starch contamination in powdered herbal materials?
- Ferric chloride
- Iodine solution producing blue-black color with starch
- HPLC mobile phase
- GC-MS internal standard
Correct Answer: Iodine solution producing blue-black color with starch
Q30. The overall aim of standardization of herbal dosage forms is to achieve what?
- Maximize variability between batches
- Consistent quality, reproducible therapeutic effect and safety for patients
- Eliminate need for any analytical testing
- Increase microbial load for efficacy
Correct Answer: Consistent quality, reproducible therapeutic effect and safety for patients
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
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