Chemical characterization of an Ayurvedic herbo-mineral preparation- Mahalaxmivilas Rasa

ABSTRACT

Background: To protect the massive trust of patient in Ayurveda, a need aroused for the researches toascertain the quality, safety & efficacy of herbo-mineral preparations on scientific lines. The rasa-aushadhis are having qualities such as instant effectiveness, requirement in very small dosage and ampletherapeutic utility. Mahalaxmi Vilas Rasa [AFI, 2027] has been used for treatment of a variety of ailmentssince time immemorial.Objective: To prepare Mahalaxmi Vilas Rasa as per standard operating procedures (SoPs) mentioned inclassical text and to characterize it chemically using modern analytical techniques.Materials and Methods: The drug (Mahalaxmi Vilas Rasa) in three batches was prepared in GMP certifiedpharmacy. Physico-chemical analysis, HPTLC, Assay of elements by AAS & ICP-AES were carried out as perAyurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) was conducted using Rigaku UltimaIV X-ray diffractometer.Results: The elemental analysis shown the presence of Mercury, Sulphur, Calcium, Copper, Gold, Iron &Tin etc. and HPTLC revealed presence of organic constituents from plant material. The XRD had indicatedthat prepared drug contained free sulphur, cinnabar (mercury sulphide added as Kajjali), cassiterite (tinoxide, Vanga Bhasma), orpiment (Hartal, arsenic III sulphide) and mica (Leucite/ Zeolite, Abhrak Bhasma).The drug was also tested for residual pesticide and microbiological contamination which were foundwithin permissible limits.Conclusion: Classical pharmaceutical procedures of Mahalaxmi Vilas Rasa showed converting the macroelements into therapeutically effective medicines of micro form. Standards laid down in this study certainlyutilized as an important tool for standardization and quality assurance of this herbo-mineral formulation.© 2018 Transdisciplinary University, Bangalore and World Ayurveda Foundation. Publishing Services byElsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http//creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).