VALIDATING THE CONCEPT OF ISLAH-E-ADVIA BY PHYSICOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS WITH REFERENCE TO HALELA (TERMINALIA CHEBULA RETZ)

Background: Halela (Terminalia chebula Retz) is one of the constituents in the well-known Unani compound medicine Itriphal, which has been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments. In order to improve the therapeutic activity of the drug, the present study adapted the process of Tadbeer / Mudabbar (rectification/purification) which is based on the concept of Islah-e-Advia. This process thus helps in making the drug effective, safe, and specific, or minimizing undesirable characteristics by acting on the drug’s constituents without compromising its medicinal value through various methods (rectification process). Objectives: To further grasp the significance of the notion of Islah-e-Advia, before and after Halela Mudabbar (rectification), a comparative analysis was conducted. Methods: Mudabbar was done by roasting dry Halela powder with Almond oil for 7-10 minutes on a low flame on standard cooking gas. Physico-chemical and quantitative HPLC examinations of gallic acid, ellagic acid, chebulagic acid, and chebulinic acid were performed with Halela before and after the Mudabbar procedure. Results: Quantitative HPLC analysis of gallic acid, ellagic acid, chebulagic acid, and chebulinic acid was increased to 0.6, 5.7, 3.8, and 0.6 mg/mL in post mudabbar halela (PMH) as compared to 0.5, 4.8, 3.5, and 0.4 mg/mL in pre halela (PH), suggesting a significant increase in tannin content in PMH. Conclusion: The results clearly show alterations in PMH, proving the notion of Islah-e-Advia and likely enhancing the drug’s activity. Standards for pre and post mudabbar Halela were established for future reference. This study may provide an incentive for proper evaluation of the plant as a medicinal agent against human diseases and also to bridge the lacunae in the existing literature and future scope, which may offer immense opportunity for researchers engaged in validating the traditional claims and development of safe and effective botanical medicine.