PHARMACOGNOSTICAL, PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ELEMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF AN AYURVEDIC POWDERED FORMULATION: SHATAVARYADI CHURNA

Most of the traditional systems of medicines are effective but the need is just to validate them to assess the quality, quantity and purity of the drugs. To support the same a polyherbal Ayurvedic powdered formulation Shatavaryadi churna used as immunomodulator, galactagogue, aphrodisiac and rejuvenator was taken for pharmacognostical, physicochemical and elemental investigation. Shatavaryadi churna is the composition of five ingredients, i.e. powder of Asparagus racemosus Willd. tubers-1part, Tribulus terrestris Linn. fruits- 1 part, Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC seeds- 1 part, Withania somnifera Dunal. roots- 1 part and Chlorophytum tuberosum Baker bulbs- 1 part. Ingredients of the formulation, In-house formulation and Marketed formulation have been pharmacognostically, physicochemically and elementally characterized by microscopy, physical constant values and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy. Selected parameters for the investigation were anatomical study; powder microscopy; Extractive values i.e. alcohol soluble, water soluble, chloroform soluble, ethyl acetate soluble and petroleum ether soluble; Ash values i.e. total ash, water insoluble ash, acid insoluble ash; moisture content value, foreign matter and elemental content. The set parameters were found to be simple to evaluate the churna and can be used as reference standards for the quality control/quality assurance of Shatavaryadi churna and other related Ayurvedic formulations.