Many recent papers reflect ongoing research and development concerning pharmaceutical applications of Raman techniques. This short review highlights different Raman techniques (dispersive, Fourier transform, resonance Raman, SERS, SERRS, FT‐SERS) employed in pharmaceutical investigations. Several Raman applications such as fundamental structural investigations, quantitative analysis, drug–excipient interaction, formulation, limit of detection, pH‐dependent pharmaceutical species, adsorption geometry at a given surface and functional groups involved in adsorption for several widely used pharmaceutical compounds are presented. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Background: Pentacyclic triterpenes, mainly betulin and betulinic acid, are valuable anticancer agents found in the bark of birch tree. This study evaluates birch bark extracts for the active principles composition. Results: New improved extraction methods were applied on the bark of Betula pendula in order to reach the maximum content in active principles. Extracts were analyzed by HPLC-MS, Raman, SERS and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy which revealed a very high yield of betulin (over 90%). Growth inhibiting effects were measured in vitro on four malignant human cell lines: A431 (skin epidermoid carcinoma), A2780 (ovarian carcinoma), HeLa (cervix adenocarcinoma) and MCF7 (breast adenocarcinoma), by means of MTT assay. All of the prepared bark extracts exerted a pronounced antiproliferative effect against human cancer cell lines. In vivo studies involved the anti-inflammatory effect of birch extracts on TPA-induced model of inflammation in mice. Conclusions: The research revealed the efficacy of the extraction procedures as well as the antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of birch extracts.